FOLEY, Alabama -- As tax season courses on, representatives from the Alabama Department of Revenue will set up shop at the Foley City Hall Tuesday to help out new businesses with their tax questions.

"We have been doing this for years," Revenue representative Carolyn Blackstock said. "We have representatives from individual, corporate, property, and sales tax divisions as well as a representative from the business and license division. They give a presentation on tax obligations and answer questions. It's been a real success and a real help to our new business owners."

The Revenue Department hosts several workshops around the state throughout the year, with four scheduled for Mobile throughout 2012 and one for Spanish Fort in October.

"We pretty much give the workshops in the same areas. Foley has always been on list, I imagine. We get a lot of good feedback," Blackstock said. "I've attended a couple of them. People are not hesitant to ask questions. The question and answer sessions are always an eye opener. People learn a lot because they can actually talk to someone along with having reading materials."

Small businesses in Alabama represent 97 percent of all employers and employ near 50 percent of the entire private sector workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Association. Although the state's economy suffered in 2010, small businesses in Alabama accounted for all net new jobs from 2005 to 2008, according to SBA statistics.

There will be two workshops held in the council chambers at City Hall on Feb. 7, one at 3 p.m. and another at 6 p.m. The workshop is free and covers a variety of state tax information topics, including employer withholding taxes, state and local taxes, property taxes, licensing requirements, and child labor law issues. Representatives will also cover online registration and tax filing.

For more information, visit the department's Web site at www.revenue.alabama.gov or call (251) 943-1545.