Sales Tax RFP 2026

Location:	California
Posted:	Sep 1, 2026
Due:	Sep 25, 2026
Agency:	City of Foster City
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	15 - Aircraft and Airframe Structural Components
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Date of Issuance: August 31, 2026

Due Date: September 25, 2026

SALES AND USE TAX REPORTING & ANALYSIS,

AUDIT, AND AS-NEEDED CONSULTING

CITY OF FOSTER CITY

A. INTRODUCTION

The City of Foster City (the “City” or “Foster City”) is requesting proposals from qualified

consultants to provide analysis, audit, and as-needed consulting for sales and use tax.

B. FOSTER CITY SALES TAX PROFILE

Foster City is a community without a traditional downtown or a historic "main street." Instead,

retail activity is spread across five (5) retail shopping centers – three (3) neighborhood

commercial centers (Edgewater Place, Marlin Cove, and Beach Park Plaza) and two (2)

regional-serving areas: The Marketplace along East Hillsdale Boulevard and the area along

Metro Center Boulevard that includes Costco Wholesale.

Additional retail/commercial spaces are located within newer commercial and/or mixed-use

developments, including the Chess Retail Center, Foster Square, Pilgrim Triton, and Parkside

Towers. There are no car dealerships. Annual sales and use tax revenues are approximately

$4 million per year.

C. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Foster City is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide services in the following 3

broad categories:

1. Sales and Use Tax Reporting, Analysis, and Forecasting

• Detailed Quarterly Reporting: Quarterly reports on Sales and Use tax revenue with

details and trend analysis for top businesses, business categories,

aberrations/anomalies, and comparisons with similar cities, regional, and statewide

sales. The quarterly report shall include a forecast for the current fiscal year and

following 4 years. Consultant shall meet quarterly in-person or virtually with City to

present the major findings of this report as well as the drivers for any trends.

• Public Quarterly Report: Consultant shall additionally provide a summary version of the

detailed quarterly report without any confidential information such that it is appropriate

for distribution with Council Members, Chamber of Commerce, other economic

development interest groups, and the public.

2. Review and Audit Recovery Services

• Identify means by which the Consultant will gather relevant data and facilitate recovery

of unpaid or underpaid taxes through audit and recovery services (with mutual

agreement of the City) of Sales and Use Tax remittances from businesses within the

City, focusing on identifying errors, underreporting, or misallocations.

• Collaborate with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA),

who collects and administers sales and use tax per the agreement required by Section

3.16.050 of the Foster City Municipal Code, to verify proper tax allocations to the City.

• Utilize data analytics to identify trends in sales tax revenue by business sector and

geographic location to detect anomalies.

• Identify and recover uncollected Sales and Use Tax revenues due to misallocations,

improper point of sale, sales underreporting or any other reason. Recovery efforts shall

include, but are not limited to, contacting taxpayers (through email, phone calls, and

letters), discovery audits, inquiries to CDTFA, and supporting any related litigation.

Consultant shall maintain records of all recovery efforts and taxpayer contact.

• Consultant shall update the City on Sales and Use Tax revenues identified and

recovered, anticipated to be recovered, and other work performed as part of the audit

recovery services.

• Consultant shall assist businesses subject to the Sales and Use Tax to properly report

sales imposed as part of the City’s Sales and Use Tax pursuant to Chapter 3.16 of the

Municipal Code and navigate CDTFA requirements.

3. As-Needed Consulting: The City does not guarantee any work under this optional

section of the scope, however examples of such potential as-needed consulting could

include:

• Forecast potential City revenues from new sales tax measures.

• Estimate the sales tax impact of new developments or businesses in Foster City

D. PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

The following is a preliminary schedule for the award of the contract.

Distribution of RFP

Deadline to Submit Written Questions

Deadline to submit proposals

Award of the contract

August 31, 2026

September 11, 2026 5:00 p.m.

September 25, 2026 5:00 p.m.

*Note that this schedule is preliminary. The schedule may be adjusted, as needed, by the City.

The deadline for submitting proposals may be extended if the City does not receive adequate

responses from qualified firms. Accordingly, the date for awarding the contract may change.

The City reserves the right to reject all proposals.

E. DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN QUESTIONS

All inquiries regarding this RFP shall be directed to Nate Cruz, Finance Director, by email at

ncruz@fostercity.org before 5:00 p.m. on September 11, 2026. The City will compile all

written questions and corresponding responses and post them on the City’s website within

one week of the inquiry deadline. It is the responsibility of consultants to carefully review this

RFP and any addenda, including regularly checking the City website.

Except as specified above, consultants and their representatives may not communicate with

any officer, director, employee, or agent of the City with respect to this RFP except as may be

reasonably necessary to carry out the procedures specified in this RFP. Nothing herein

prohibits consultants or their representatives from making oral statements during a public

meeting. The City will not respond to verbal inquiries, except as discussed above.

F. FEE SCHEDULE

All tasks within the Scope of Services in section C shall be included within the proposal’s fee

schedule and itemized according to required and optional tasks. The proposed Fee schedule

should show costs for the initial term and the two following years.

G. TERM

The Initial term shall be from the agreement date until October 15th 2027, and an option for

the parties to renew the agreement for two one-year terms.

H. PROPOSAL CONTENT

Consultant’s proposal must include the following and follow directions outlined in each section

below:

1. A cover letter with contact information

A description and statement of the firm’s qualifications for this project, as well as those

of any subconsultants.

2. Table of Contents. Each proposal shall include an index to the major topics contained

in the proposal, and all pages shall be numbered.

3. Firm and Team Qualifications

a. Provide details and prior examples demonstrating your firm’s ability to meet the

Scope of Services.

b. Organizational chart with names and roles of the project team.

c. Resumes or professional biographies of all project team members who will directly

participate in the project.

d. Sub consultants. Identify any subconsultants that would be used and their specific

role. (All subconsultant costs, including any markup, must be included in the

consultant’s cost proposals.)

4. Two Sample Quarterly Sales Tax Reports (redact confidential information as

appropriate)

5. References. Provide at least three (3) references of California agencies. At least two

(2) references must have worked with the proposed project manager or other key staff

proposed to be assigned to the City’s project. If a Sub consultant will be utilized a

reference for the Sub consultant should also be included. References should include

the following:

a. Name, address, and telephone number of the agency

b. Time period for the project

c. Brief description of the scope of work

d. Reference contact name, email, and telephone number

I. EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Quality, completeness, and succinctness of proposal in responding to the Scope of

Services in Section C.

2. Ability of the firm and team members to produce high-quality and easily understood

reports which provide principal findings, supporting analysis, and insight beyond

simple data reporting.

3. Fee Schedule.

J. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Evaluation of the proposals will be conducted by City staff, who will assess the qualifications,

experience, and ability to perform the work of each consultant based on the criteria listed

above. An oral interview with one or more firms will be conducted after the City has received

and reviewed the written proposals. The oral interview may require a presentation of the

sample sales tax report submitted in the proposal (from H4 above). At the time of the

interview, representatives of the consulting firm should be prepared to clarify and elaborate

on the details outlined in the firm’s proposal.

The City of Foster City Finance Department will administer the contract. The decision to

accept any proposal will be made approximately thirty (30) calendar days after the deadline

for proposals to be submitted. Consultants whose proposals have not been accepted will be

notified accordingly.

K. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSALS

1. The prospective consultant firm shall submit its proposal to the City via email not later than

September 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

2. Any questions related to the project and/or this RFP shall be directed to the Finance

Director Nate Cruz at ncruz@fostercity.org.

3. An authorized official of the firm shall sign the proposal.

4. The terms and scope of the contract will be arrived at on the basis of professional

negotiations between the City and the prospective consultant. If the City and the

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Sales Tax RFP 2026

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