S.F. tax may hit 24,000 businesses

San Francisco is considering introducing a new tax on commercial rents, a move that could raise $84 million but quadruple to 24,000 the number of businesses paying city taxes.

The commercial rent tax proposal is part of a broader effort to lessen the city’s dependence on the payroll tax, often criticized as putting too great a tax burden on too few companies and discouraging hiring.