Selling a business in Los Angeles
LA is home. I bought my first business here, grew it through the pandemic and sold it six years later, so I know what it feels like to sit in your chair. Now I help Los Angeles owners find out what their business is worth, get it ready and find the right buyer. You pay nothing unless it sells.
Los Angeles County by the numbers
Los Angeles County is one of the largest small business markets in the country, which means more buyers, more competing listings and a wide range of values for similar businesses.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,694,934 | July 1, 2025 estimate |
| Employer establishments | 304,988 | 2023 |
| Employer firms | 251,405 | 2023 |
| Nonemployer businesses (no payroll) | 1,165,040 | 2024 |
| Gross domestic product | About $1.00 trillion | 2024 |
| Incorporated cities | 88, plus unincorporated areas covering over 65% of the land and about 1 million residents | Current |
| Port of Los Angeles container volume | 10.2 million container units | 2025 |
Those 88 cities matter in a sale. Each one sets its own business tax, permits and zoning, so a laundromat in Gardena and one in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica can look alike on paper and still close differently.
Where Los Angeles jobs are
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation tracks the county's industry clusters. The largest ones line up with the kinds of businesses I help owners sell.
| Cluster | Private jobs, 2022 | Related guide |
|---|---|---|
| Local health services | 473,581 | Home care, physical therapy and practices |
| Local hospitality | 409,066 | Fitness, sports and recreation |
| Business services | 236,550 | Home and commercial services |
| Distribution and ecommerce | 179,352 | Ecommerce, retail |
| Video production and distribution | 150,098 | Publishing and media |
| Transportation and logistics | 79,852 | |
| Aerospace vehicles and defense | 57,076 | |
| Apparel | 22,635 |
Your city's business tax goes with you to the closing table
Buyers ask to see that local business tax is filed and paid. The account belongs to you, so it is settled and closed at the sale, and the buyer registers fresh. How it is calculated depends on where the business sits.
| Where the business is | How the local tax works |
|---|---|
| City of Los AngelesOffice of Finance | Mostly on gross receipts, from $1.01 to $4.25 per $1,000 depending on classification. Businesses with $100,000 or less in worldwide gross receipts are exempt if they are registered and renew on time. |
| Santa MonicaBusiness license tax | $75 plus a percentage of gross receipts above $60,000, with the rate set by classification. Businesses under $103,000 in worldwide gross receipts can apply for an exemption. |
| Culver CityBusiness tax certificate | Businesses taxed on gross receipts pay on whichever is higher, gross receipts or cost of operations. Rates vary by activity. |
| Long BeachBusiness license | A base tax plus a per employee charge. For FY 2026 to 2027, professionals pay $488.81 plus $38.00 per employee and retail pays $488.81 plus $12.66 per employee. |
| TorranceBusiness license | A license fee plus an added tax based on the number of persons in the business. |
| GardenaBusiness license | A flat rate or a gross revenue based tax, depending on business type. |
| Unincorporated Los Angeles CountyTreasurer and Tax Collector | No general business license. Only certain listed activities need a county business license. |
Rates change and each city has its own classifications. Your CPA should confirm the final amounts before closing. Statewide items such as CDTFA and EDD clearances, bulk sale notices, ABC liquor license transfers and noncompetes are covered on my California page.
Selling the building too? Check the City of Los Angeles transfer tax first.
Measure ULA is a City of Los Angeles tax on transfers of real property. It does not apply to the goodwill or equipment of a business. It matters when an owner sells the building with the business, because it can change how the deal is priced and split.
The thresholds adjust every year, so we confirm them with escrow before an offer is written.
| Property value | Total city transfer tax |
|---|---|
| $5,400,000 or less | 0.45% (base tax only) |
| Over $5.4M and under $10.9M | 4.45% (0.45% base plus 4% ULA) |
| $10.9M or more | 5.95% (0.45% base plus 5.5% ULA) |
Los Angeles is many local economies, not one
The buyer pool, the landlord and the local tax all shift from one part of the county to the next. Here is what stands out in some of the county's main business areas.
Culver City
A creative tech economy. Sony Pictures tops the city's FY 2024 to 2025 list of principal employers, with Apple, Amazon Studios and TikTok also on the list. The Hayden Tract has turned former industrial space into offices.
Culver City PAFRSanta Monica
The city calls itself the epicenter of Silicon Beach. Its business improvement districts cover Downtown, Main Street, Montana Avenue and Pico Boulevard, and its largest employers include Providence Saint John's, Amazon, Snap and Hulu.
2024 principal employers, BIDsTorrance and Gardena
Torrance is home to Honda's U.S. sales and marketing headquarters, and the city counts manufacturing at 17.5% of its workforce. Gardena has about 2,529 businesses, with aerospace manufacturers such as Avcorp and Hitco and a city budget that leans on card club revenue.
Honda, Torrance, GardenaLong Beach
A port city with seven business improvement districts, from Downtown and Belmont Shore to Bixby Knolls and Zaferia. The city counts about 6,000 aerospace jobs across 14 employers in 2025, a revival it calls Space Beach.
Long Beach BIDs, FY26 budgetSan Fernando Valley
Mostly City of Los Angeles neighborhoods, from Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks to Chatsworth, plus the separate cities of Burbank, Glendale and San Fernando. Burbank counts more than 1,000 media and entertainment companies, and Van Nuys Airport supports more than 12,300 jobs.
Burbank, Van Nuys AirportEverywhere else
I also work with owners in Downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena and beyond. A first conversation is a phone or video call, whichever you prefer.
I have been the owner on the other side of the table.
I left corporate finance to buy a senior care agency in Los Angeles. I grew it through the pandemic and sold it about six years later. Along the way it employed more than 1,000 caregivers and served more than 300 seniors. That sale taught me both sides of an exit: the numbers, and what it feels like to let go.
Free help for Los Angeles owners getting ready to sell
Clean books and a clear plan raise value. These public programs can help before you ever talk to a buyer.
LA Regional SBDC Network
Free small business advising across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, hosted by Long Beach City College.
smallbizla.orgSBA Los Angeles District Office
Serves Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties from 312 N. Spring St.
SBA LA DistrictVICA
The Valley Industry and Commerce Association, founded in 1949, is the business voice of the San Fernando Valley.
vica.comQuestions from Los Angeles owners.
These come up in almost every first conversation with an owner in the county.
Which business tax applies to my sale?
The one for the city where your business operates. Los Angeles County has 88 cities, and the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City, Long Beach and others each calculate it differently. You settle and close your account at the sale, and the buyer registers for their own.
Does Measure ULA apply when I sell my business?
Only if real property in the City of Los Angeles changes hands, for example when you sell the building along with the business. A sale of the business alone, with a lease assignment, is not a real property transfer.
How do we work together if I am in Los Angeles?
I live in Los Angeles and work with owners across the county by phone and video, from the first conversation through closing.
Can my landlord block the sale?
A landlord usually cannot stop you from selling the business, but most commercial leases require consent to assign. If consent is refused or comes with new terms, the deal can stall, which is why we read the lease first.
Have you sold a business in Los Angeles yourself?
Yes. I bought a senior care agency in Los Angeles, grew it through the pandemic and sold it about six years later. I know the seat you are sitting in.
Where can I get free help getting my business ready?
The LA Regional SBDC Network offers free advising across the county. I am happy to work alongside your SBDC advisor, CPA and attorney.
Figures on this page come from the public sources below. Rates and thresholds change each year, so confirm current numbers with your CPA, attorney and escrow officer.
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Los Angeles County
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP by county 2024
- County of Los Angeles, maps and geography
- LAEDC, Industry Clusters Study 2024
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, tax information
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, Measure ULA
- Port of Los Angeles, State of the Port 2026
Own a business in Los Angeles County?
Book a call to talk about selling. Leave with a clear picture of value, timing and what to fix first.
