THE 2015/2016 COST OF DOING BUSINESS SURVEY
The Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey provides annual information about the costs of operating a business in  305  cities across 9 western states. The Survey celebrates its 21st year of publication and its 12th year since Kosmont Companies ventured with the Rose Institute of State & Local Government. The Rose Institute of State & Local Government is a public policy research center at Claremont McKenna College that has established itself as a national leader in state and local government research.

The Kosmont-Rose Survey was recently featured in the LABJ  article below:
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Doing Business in L.A. Grew Tougher This Year
COMMERCE: Survey sees costs jumping even higher in 2016 with new taxes.

By HOWARD FINE
Monday, November 21, 2016

It might not be what local business owners want to hear, but the cost of doing business in Los Angeles has gone up yet again and will likely jump even more next year, according to a survey to be released this week.

The annual Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey has classified 46 of the 74 Los Angeles County cities surveyed as either “high cost” or “very high cost” in terms of tax and fee rates for businesses in 2016. That’s up from 45 last year and 44 the year before that, representing a steadily increasing trend.

Even worse, eight area cities – including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Culver City – rank among the 20 most expensive cities in which to do business in the Western United States. That’s also up one from last year.

These increases are trifling compared with what could be coming next year, thanks to recent election results.

“With dozens of L.A. County cities climbing on the new tax bandwagon in recent elections, businesses face ongoing increases in their cost of doing business,” said Larry Kosmont, an L.A. economic development consultant who started the Cost of Doing Business Survey 20 years ago.

Voters countywide this month approved a half-cent sales tax increase for transportation projects, while dozens of cities have approved either more sales taxes or new marijuana taxes.

That’s not to mention school bonds and parcel taxes, which are also paid by businesses. All these tax and assessment increases will be taking effect next year – some as early as January, but most midyear.

Expansion guide
The survey, which is produced by Kosmont’s firm, Kosmont Cos., in partnership with the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, looks at the cost of operating a business – focusing especially on taxes and fees – in 305 cities throughout nine Western states.

Businesses considering expanding or relocating often use the survey to compare operating costs in different cities. It also has become an essential marketing tool for lower-cost cities to recruit businesses from higher-cost cities in California.

Los Angeles has traditionally been a high-cost region, especially when it comes to…

Read the official Los Angeles Business Journal article here. 

Category: News