| |
| Business
Costs |
| |
| |
 |
Taxation |
|
|
| |
"Over the past 14 years, Colorado’s
tax burden has fallen from being relatively close
to the national average in 1990 to currently standing
substantially below the national average. Over this
period of time, individual incomes of taxpayers have
risen faster than state/local tax collections thanks
largely to the unique Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights
amendment in the state’s constitution. Estimated
in 2004 at 9.1% of income, Colorado’s state/local
tax burden percentage ranks 40th nationally, well
below the national average of 10.0%." -
The Tax Foundation
Colorado has a pro-business tax climate that is equitable
to businesses as well as individuals.
Income, property, and sales and use taxes are the
three main sources of tax revenue for state and local
governments in Colorado.
In May of 2003, the Tax Foundation published its
State Business Tax Climate Index, which ranked
Colorado as having the 4th smallest
business tax burden in the nation. The report
based its rankings on five major elements of the tax
system: the percentage of income taken by all taxes,
the individual income tax rates, the corporate income
taxes, the sales tax rate, and the complexity of the
tax system.
Tax and Spending Limitation (TABOR Amendment)
The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR),
an amendment to the State Constitution, was passed
in 1992. TABOR requires that all tax increases be
approved by a vote of the people. Under TABOR, the
maximum annual percentage change in state fiscal year
spending equals inflation plus the percentage change
in state population in the prior calendar year, adjusted
for revenue changes approved by voters.
Local district fiscal year spending is limited to
inflation in the prior calendar year plus annual “local
growth.” Local growth for non-school district
is defined as the net percentage change in actual
value of all taxable real property in a district.
For a school district, it means the percentage change
in its student enrollment.
Important Business Tax Links
Colorado
Department of Revenue
Colorado
Tax Forms
Colorado
Business Resource Guide
For
Your Information Tax Publications |
|
Links to sections with Taxation information:
Taxes that the State of Colorado does not
impose:
- No unitary tax
- No occupational head tax in Jefferson County
or at the state level
- No waters edge or inventory tax in Colorado
|
|
|
|
|
Wages |
|
|
| |
| Average Wages
by Occupation for the Denver PMSA |
Occupational Title:
|
Average Hourly Wages:
|
|
| Management Occupations: |
| Financial Managers |
$45.00 |
| General & Operations Managers |
$39.70 |
| Industrial Production Managers |
$34.24 |
| Transportation, Storage, & Dist. Managers |
$34.79 |
| Engineering Managers |
$52.78 |
|
| |
| Professional, Paraprofessional,
and Technical Occupations: |
| Computer Programmers |
$33.82 |
| Computer Support Specialists |
$22.03 |
| Registered Nurses |
$28.15 |
| Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technicians |
$24.19 |
|
| |
| Sales and Related Occupations: |
| Sales Reps, Wholesale & Manufacturing
(non-tech) |
$24.27 |
| Sales Reps, Scientific, Technical, & Products |
$36.60 |
| Telemarketer and Other Related Workers |
$10.51 |
|
| |
| Clerical and Administrative
Support Occupations: |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing
Clerks |
$15.52 |
| Customer Service Representatives |
$13.95 |
| Executive Secretaries & Administrative Assistants |
$19.21 |
| Office Clerks - General |
$12.85 |
|
| |
| Production, Construction,
Operating, Maintenance, and Material Handling: |
| Metal & Plastic Workers |
$17.39 |
| Pourers and Casters, Metal |
$9.89 |
| Machinists |
$17.85 |
| Assemblers & Fabricators |
$11.06 |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers |
$13.70 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters |
$16.06 |
| First Line Supervisors/Mgrs. of Construction
Trades |
$25.96 |
|
| |
| Colorado's Minimum Wage |
$6.85 |
|
| |
| Source: Colorado Department of
Labor and Employment, 2006 Wage Survey. Additional wage
information available on request. |
|
| |
For more wage info:
Colorado
Dept. of Labor and Employment |
| |
|
Construction
Cost Index |
|
|
| |
| |
Materials |
Installation |
Composite |
| San Francisco |
112.8 |
132.9 |
121.7 |
| Boston |
102.5 |
132.0 |
115.6 |
| Minneapolis |
100.5 |
126.7 |
112.2 |
| Chicago |
100.1 |
126.3 |
111.7 |
| Los Angeles |
102.5 |
112.1 |
106.8 |
| Seattle |
103.8 |
104.7 |
104.2 |
| Kansas City, MO |
100.9 |
106.8 |
103.5 |
| Portland, OR |
102.2 |
104.6 |
103.3 |
| DENVER |
100.6 |
89.9 |
95.8 |
| Phoenix |
98.8 |
73.6 |
87.6 |
| Dallas |
98.3 |
67.1 |
84.4 |
| |
| 100.0 = National average
for all cities. |
| Source: RS Means'
Building Construction Cost Data Manual, 2006. |
|
| |
|
Development
Fees |
|
|
| |
Development fees vary among the various
municipalities in Jefferson County and may include:
- Building permits
- Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing fees
- Economic impact fees
- Survey, plat, rezoning or special use permit fees
- Application fees
Some fee schedules are posted on the Internet. Links and
telephone numbers for the various municipalities are listed
below.
Jefferson County*
County
Planning and Zoning
(Unincorporated Areas)
100 Jefferson County Parkway, #3550
Golden, CO 80419-3550
303-271-8700 |
|
City of Arvada
Arvada
Department of Community Development
8101 Ralston Road
Arvada, CO 80002
303-431-3020 |
| |
|
|
City of Golden
Public
Works Department
1445 10th Street
Golden, CO 80401
303-384-8151 |
|
City of Lakewood
Community
Planning and Development
480 S. Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226
303-987-7500 |
| |
|
|
City of Westminster
Department
of Community Development
4800 W. 92nd Avenue
Westminster, CO 80031
303-430-2400 ext. 2092 |
|
City of Wheat Ridge
Public Works Department
7500 W. 29th Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80215
303-235-2846 |
| |
|
|
| *Fees posted |
|
|
|
| |
|
Real
Estate Comparisons |
|
|
| |
| Office |
| Submarkets |
Inventory |
VSF |
Vacancy |
Absorption
|
Median
Rate |
| Denver Metro |
155,223,101 |
15,798,195 |
10.2% |
664,550 |
$16.90 |
| Class A |
34,784,505 |
3,982,891 |
11.5% |
-12,161 |
$19.81 |
| Class B |
100,009,538 |
10,213,295 |
10.2% |
663,900 |
$16.28 |
| Class C |
20,429,058 |
1,602,009 |
7.8% |
12,811 |
$12.79 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jefferson County |
21,488,630 |
2,178,199 |
10.1% |
417,663 |
$16.21 |
| Class A |
2,588,443 |
236,638 |
9.1% |
35,368 |
$20.08 |
| Class B |
15,961,254 |
1,714,072 |
10.7% |
333,558 |
$15.99 |
| Class C |
2,938,933 |
227,489 |
7.7% |
48,737 |
$13.85 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Industrial |
| Submarkets |
Inventory |
VSF |
Vacancy |
Absorption
|
Median
Rate |
| Denver Metro |
225,794,444 |
14,570,998 |
6.5% |
2,993,997 |
$5.44 |
| Ind/Warehouse |
181,872,118 |
10,135,434 |
5.6% |
1,992,244 |
$4.63 |
| Flex/R&D |
43,922,326 |
4,435,564 |
10.1% |
1,001,753 |
$7.02 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jefferson County |
21,616,208 |
961,468 |
4.4% |
223,048 |
$7.00 |
| Ind/Warehouse |
14,542,783 |
405,379 |
2.8% |
157,142 |
$5.42 |
| Flex/R&D |
7,073,425 |
556,089 |
7.9% |
65,906 |
$8.09 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Source: Frederick Ross Company, 3rd
Quarter 2006 |
| |
|
Utility
Costs |
|
|
| |
Jefferson County's utility rates are
among the lowest in the nation. The following charts shows
comparisons for commercial, industrial, and residential
use.
Monthy Electrical
Cost Comparisons |
| City |
Industrial
1000 kW/400 mWh |
Commerical
40kW/100,000 kWh |
Residential
500kWh |
| Atlanta |
$24,635 |
$862 |
$37.33 |
| Baltimore |
$24,131 |
$716 |
$41.69 |
| Chicago |
$24.934 |
$803 |
n/a |
| Dallas |
n/a |
$885 |
$46.22 |
| Denver Metro |
$24,911 |
$843 |
$43.38 |
| New York |
$49,252 |
$1,570 |
$83.80 |
| Phoenix |
$24,046 |
$884 |
$45.20 |
| Portland |
$23,972 |
$710 |
$44.02 |
| San Francisco |
$45,194 |
$1,258 |
$61.98 |
| Washington, D.C. |
$22,747 |
$875 |
$30.36 |
|
| Source: Edison Electric Institute,
Winter 2003 |
| |
Commercial
Natural Gas Prices by State |
| Rank |
State |
Price/Mcf |
| 2 |
Massachusetts |
$12.04 |
| 3 |
Maryland |
$10.34 |
| 4 |
Indiana |
$10.29 |
| 11 |
Florida |
$8.51 |
| 12 |
New
York |
$8.38 |
| 14 |
New
Mexico |
$8.19 |
| 20 |
Illinois |
$6.89 |
| 26 |
California |
$6.68 |
| 27 |
Colorado |
$6.62 |
| 35 |
Oregon |
$5.96 |
|
| Source: Energy User News, September
2004. |
|
| |
|
|
