F8 Nightclub Needs Your Help to Keep the Tax Man at Bay

The About section on the F8 Nightclub and Bar website says it all: 

“Our main goal is music and everything else is supplementary…”

That way of thinking has made the SoMa nightclub a beloved go-to spot at 1192 Folsom Street, but it has unfortunately backfired in terms of sustainability. The awesome pours behind the bar Yelpers seem to love so much have gotten the club into a pickle with the tax board. F8 is now calling on the public’s help for donations and/or advice about how to get out of this jamb.

Basically, they’ve been audited by the tax board, which assumes they should’ve taken in a lot more revenue than they have for the amount of money they spend on booze. It’s a sales tax issue that has the club on a pretty big hook.

F8 backbar at 1192 Folsom Street in San Francisco, Calif. Photo courtesy of F8.

The folks at F8 have set up a GoFundMe page that explains:

“The tax board uses a standard mark up formula to assume the revenue we should be generating based on our liquor purchases. And based on that formula, they determined our revenue should have been much higher than it was. Customer loyalty has always been big for us which is why we provided discounts and specials to our patrons.”

The 250-person capacity music venue likes to pack in happy patrons — often without a door charge — to hear some of the area’s best and up-and-coming DJs and bands. The calendar is a booked wonderland of techno, hip hop, house, rap and electro acts and the club’s generosity at the door and behind the bar have kept the vibes going for years.

But their generosity is now a detrimental sticking point with ‘the man.’

DJ spins at F8 at 1192 Folsom Street in San Francisco, Calif. Photo Tim dCoy Photography/F8.

They’re hoping to raise $50,000 to save the place and have come up with about $5,500 since the GoFundMe account was established Tuesday. But they’re also looking for recommendations and advice from anyone with legal chops who happens to also value the club’s existence. If you or anyone you know of can help with some guidance through the bureaucratic nightmare, you can email them at info@feightsf.com. 

The statement continues:

“We believe our community is still strong and we don’t want to see another corporate entity open up in our stead! … We would love to continue on for many years to come as many of our patrons and staff are like our family. We have been there for our community through its joys and heartaches and we hope you guys can be there for us too. Regardless of this burden, we wouldn’t exist without everyone’s love and support over the last decade.  We thank you and love you all.”