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An occupational license can be obtained through the Kenton County Occupational and License Taxes division, they are located at:
The Public Protection Cabinet Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control handles the licensing of alcoholic beverages. Visit their website for applications and forms.
The individual or business entity must register with the Kenton County Fiscal Court. Registration should take place before any business activity has been conducted within Kenton County & Cities. The registration process consists of filing the Kenton County and Cities Occupational License Application KCForm1. You can apply for a business license online via the Business Services Portal available here.
Please note licensees are required to notify Kenton County of any changes in address, the cessation of business activity or any other change which render inaccurate the information supplied on the application.
Employers are only required to withhold if the employee’s physical work location is within Kenton County & Cities. Employees who reside but do not work within Kenton County & Cities are not subject to local withholding.
Need assistance in determining employee residency, please visit the NKY Geographic Information System website.
Yes. Pursuant to Kenton County Ordinance 226.07, your employer must withhold payroll taxes from your compensation. Your employer must file an application for a business license with Kenton County Business Services and submit Employees Quarterly Withholdings Return and annual returns.
Click here to file for a Business License Application online.
Click here to file your quarterly withholding or annual returns online.
Click here to visit the LINK GIS website to determine the city where an employee is working remote.
When an employee is working within Kenton County and its various cities, the employer must file for an occupational license and submit Employees Quarterly Withholdings Return. This includes employees who are working remote (i.e. from home) within Kenton County.
An employer with employees located within Kenton County and its various cities is responsible for remitting the withheld occupational license taxes from their employees. The employer must file an application for a business license with Kenton County Business Services and submit quarterly withholding and annual returns.
Every person or business engaged in franchises, trades, occupations, professions, and other businesses within Kenton County and its various cities.
Option 1: You may submit your request to close your Business Services Account via this form or letter. The letter must include the company name, account number and the date the business activity ceased. If the business was sold, the name and address of the new business owner must be included. You will need to file the Annual Occupational Fee and Business License Renewal Form ACC1 for the last tax period that business was conducted in Kenton County & Cities. This return will need to be marked “Final Return” and a date of when the business ceased operations will need to be provided. A copy of your federal tax return for your final year that business was conducted will need to be included to close your account.
Option 2: You can also close the account by using the Filing Wizard and selecting “No License – Close My Account” after inputting all the data necessary for your final return. A copy of your federal tax return for your final year that business was conducted will need to be included to close your account.
If any returns or payments are delinquent, the account cannot be closed until these issues are addressed.
For any questions regarding terminating an Occupational License account please contact our office at 859-392-1440 or via email.
Penalty is 5% per month or portion thereof up to 25% of the amount due with a minimum of $25 per county/city assessed. Interest is 1% per month or portion thereof not to exceed 12% per annum.
Yes. If business activity occurs within the City of Covington, those activities are also subject to Kenton County Occupational License requirements.
Bromley, Covington, Crescent Springs, Crestview Hills, Edgewood, Elsmere, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, Fort Wright, Independence, Lakeside Park, Park Hills, Ludlow, Ryland Heights, Taylor Mill, and Villa Hills.
Upon approval of the Kenton County and Cities Occupational License Application KCForm1 an Occupational License will be mailed within 30 days. Applicable Annual Occupational Fee & Business License Renewal Forms will be due on the 15th day of the fourth month after the fiscal year end. Employer Quarterly Withholding Forms will be due 30 days after quarter ends.
If an Amended Return needs to be submitted, please fill in the corrected amounts on Form ACC1 for the corresponding tax year and write “Amended Return” at the top of the form. Forms are available via Get an Account & Other Forms.
Refunds must be requested on the Refund Application Form. Forms are available via Get an Account & Other Forms or by contacting our office at 859-392-1440 or by email. Our hours are Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.
Please note that an Occupational License is non-refundable. If a business license is purchased anticipating business opportunities, and those opportunities did not materialize, that license fee cannot then be refunded.
The federal extension when submitted without the Annual Occupational Fee and Business License Renewal Form ACC1 is not accepted. Kenton County & Cities Business Services Department requires the Form ACC1 return be submitted with all license renewals and 90% of any estimated fees due. Please see the Extension Request and Extension Filing Instruction section of the Form ACC1.
The Filing Wizard is a step by step tool to guide businesses to file their Form ACC1 with Kenton County. Businesses can file their Form ACC1 (gross receipts and net profits) for all cities that charge an occupational license fee in Kenton County (except for Covington). Businesses can pay via credit card, EFT or paper check.
Both the account number and Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) will be required to log into the Filing Wizard.
With the Filing Wizard, a taxpayer can file Kenton County Form ACC1 (i.e. gross receipts, net profits) for both the County and the 15 participating cities. Extensions can also be filed via the Filing Wizard however amended returns must be filed via the paper return. Supporting documents (Federal Tax return, 1099s, etc.) can be uploaded via the Filing Wizard.
When logging into the Filing Wizard, a taxpayer will be able to update basic contact information (name, address, phone number, email). Current extension payments can also be viewed but no other historical data will be available.
Contact information can be changed when you’re filing Form ACC1 via the Filing Wizard. You can also close your account online via the Filing Wizard when filing a return.
Filing Wizard uses a secure login method using modern security practices. Once in the application, all data is transmitted securely to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Nothing in between the users’ browser and our server can see what data is being transmitted.
The online return will be reviewed and posted to the account within five business days.
Yes, a receipt will be sent form the third party payment processor.
Credit card processing fees will vary depending on the card (average is 2.75%). Paying via electronic fund transfer (i.e. electronic check) will cost $1.
Yes, a voucher can be printed and sent in with a paper check.
Yes after you submit your return a summary will be available to print.
No, a business license will be sent via postal mail after the return is approved.
Not through the Filing Wizard. We are currently working on a feature that would allow a business to look up a balance and pay a notice online.
Yes, with the Filing Wizard your data will be saved allowing you to come back later and finish filing the return.
Yes, by choosing the voucher payment process.
Currently there is not a paperless option but many services are available online.
All browsers are supported but the preferred browser is Chrome.
Please contact the Kenton County Occupational License Department at 859-392-1440 or via email. Our hours are Monday through Friday 8 AM - 5 PM.
CodeRED is an emergency notification service that allows emergency officials to notify residents and businesses by telephone, cell phone, text message, email and social media regarding time-sensitive general and emergency notifications. Only authorized officials have access to the CodeRED system.
Any message regarding the safety, property or welfare of the community will be disseminated using the CodeRED system. These may include AMBER alerts, notifications of hazardous traffic or road conditions, boil water advisories or evacuation notices.
This system is an enhancement to existing means of communication and is meant to supplement current or past systems used for mass notification.
The CodeRED database contains information received from public databases, including regional phone books. However, no resident should assume that their information is in the system. Visit the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page to register online. If you can not register online, you can call 859-392-1400 and speak with one of our staff members to complete your registration over the telephone.
Yes. Fill out the CodeRED registration form but be sure to select the "This address is a business" option. Please note that emergency calls can only be delivered to a direct dial number. Automated attendants will disrupt the process and the calls will not be delivered. Businesses should register their main number and establish a procedure for distributing the CodeRED message to their workforce.
After you submit the initial registration form, you may start the registration process again and submit more numbers for the same address.
CodeRED is a service of Emergency Communications Network which takes security and privacy concerns very seriously. They will not sell, trade, lease or loan any data citizen supplied data to third parties.
A CodeRED Emergency message will have a caller ID of 866-419-5000. A CodeRED General message will have a caller ID 855-969-4636. We suggest you program both numbers in your cell phone as a "new contact" and use "CodeRED Emergency" and "CodeRED General" as the contact name. If you need to replay the emergency notification message again, simply dial the number and you will be able to hear the message again.
Listen carefully to the entire message. You will have the option to repeat the message by pressing any key. Do not call 911 for further information unless directed to do so or if you need immediate aid from the Police or Fire department.
Make sure you have at least one working corded telephone and be sure to turn the ringer on. The CodeRED sign-up form allows you to indicate both a primary and alternate phone number. Cell phone and/or work phone numbers can be entered as alternate phone numbers. Both primary and alternate phone numbers will be contacted when a notification is sent.
Yes, the CodeRED system will leave a message on a machine or on voicemail. The CodeRED system will leave the entire message in one pass.
If the line is busy, CodeRED will try two more times to connect.
Kenton County will receive a report of undelivered calls and can instruct the CodeRED system to begin another round of calls to busy numbers. It is best to have an alternate phone number in the calling database for these situations.
The new fee structure is based on the land use code the Property Valuation Administrator’s office (PVA) has on record for your property. The PVA has over 150 different Land Use codes that were grouped together into seven different land use density categories. Each category pays a different fee:
No residential land use will owe more than $75 per unit.
Your property may have been reassessed and its land use updated, resulting in a different land use fee for the year.
Kenton County’s 911 fee is based on the land use of each property instead of a direct unit count. Property types that were exempt from the fee previously will remain exempt. For residential land uses, this fee is capped at $75 per unit. Retail properties are charged a different fee depending on the building size and other non-retail properties have a separate fee.
The fees for each land use density grouping were determined by analyzing all 911 calls from previous years across different land uses in the county. The total % of calls that went to each land use grouping was used to determine what percentage of revenue each land use grouping was responsible for.
County Property Taxes are discounted if paid by the end of October/November but must be paid by December 31 in order to avoid penalty. Appeal process for 911 Fee will begin the month of October.
If you believe you have been charged a 911 fee by mistake, or that the information used to determine your property’s fee amount is incorrect, you can file a Kenton County 911 Fee Appeal Form. Your appeal will be reviewed by the 911 Fee Appeals board, and a determination letter will be mailed to you following the board’s judgment.
If you win your appeal, you will be refunded the appropriate amount.
After the appeal has been upheld by the appeals board, the refund will be processed and mailed as soon as possible.
Certain types of land uses are considered exempt from the 911 fee, including abandoned or vacant land.
Please complete a 911 Appeal Form. After the 911 Appeals board reviews your form, appeals related to land use or unit count will be forwarded to the Kenton County PVA on the applicant’s behalf for their review prior to the next billing year.
Please contact the Kenton County Office of the Treasurer at (859) 392-1420 or in person at:
1840 Simon Kenton WaySuite 5100Covington, KY 41011
Visit the Property Valuation Administrator’s office learn about types of properties they are responsible for as they are responsible for most property assessments.
View the Covington and Independence office information.
The Kenton County Sheriff's Office collects property taxes.
Planning and Development Services of Kenton County is responsible for the Building Codes Administration Department. View the Planning and Development Services website to see codes and find forms and applications.
If you visit the Kenton County Public Inquiry website, you can search Kenton County Official Records for deeds, land documents, mortgages, and plats.
Kenton County Master Commissioner
The Property Valuation Administrator's office handles the Homestead Exemption.
Under the provisions of the Homestead Amendment, a person or persons must be 65 years of age or older or totally disabled during the year for which application is made, and must own, occupy and maintain a residential unit for such exemption.
The Kenton County Clerk's office is responsible for voter registration.
You are eligible to vote if:
Registered voters in Kentucky can obtain information about their precinct location and legislative districts by using the online Voter Information Center provided by the Kentucky State Board of Elections.