"this gobbledygook "
Ah, it's not. Gross receipts and work attributable to the city are defined things in SF city tax code, so if in doubt: consult your tax lawyer. We have one in San Francisco who does our taxes for us.
When Google fills in its taxes for the city -- it has an office on Spear St -- it will declare its gross receipts attributable to the city and the city will tax them on it. This boils down to:
* Receipts involving property, of multiple kinds, and sales and services in the city
* Payroll in the city
If it feels complex, it is. It's tax law. See https://sfgov.org/sfc/san-francisco-gross-receipts-tax for info.
Edit: I've added a link to more details on GR tax in the article.
C.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
