Skip to content

Taxes In California

California Tax Rates, Collections, and Burdens

How does California’s tax code compare? California has a graduated state individual income tax, with rates ranging from 1.00 percent to 13.30 percent. There is also a jurisdiction that collects local income taxes. California has an 8.84 percent corporate income tax rate. California also has a 7.25 percent state sales tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.85 percent. California has a 0.68 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value.

California does not have an estate tax or inheritance tax. California has a 68.1 cents per gallon gas tax rate and a $2.87 cigarette excise tax rate. The State of California collects $9,229 in state and local tax collections per capita. California has $13,845 in state and local debt per capita and has a 79 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Overall, California’s tax system ranks 48th on our 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index.

Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and California is no exception. The first step towards understanding California’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does California collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?

See Related Articles

Tax Data by State

Get facts about taxes in your state and around the U.S.

Explore Data

State Tax Data

Individual Taxes

Top Individual Income Tax Rate
13.3%See Full Study
State Local Individual Income Tax Collections per Capita
$3743Rank: 1
State and Local Tax Burden
13.5%Rank: 43See Full Study

Business Taxes

Top Corporate Income Tax Rate
8.84%See Full Study
State Business Tax Climate Index Ranking
48See Full Study

Sales Taxes

State Sales Tax Rate
7.25%Rank: 1See Full Study
Average Local Sales Tax Rate
1.6%See Full Study
Combined State and Average Local Sales Tax Rate
8.85%Rank: 8See Full Study
State and Local General Sales Tax Collections per Capita
$1525Rank: 16
State Gasoline Tax Rate (cents per gallon)
68.10¢Rank: 1
State Cigarette Tax Rate (dollars per 20-pack)
$2.87Rank: 12

Property Taxes

Property Taxes Paid as a Percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Value
0.68%Rank: 34
State and Local Property Tax Collections Per Capita
$2100Rank: 14

All Related Articles

Virginia local option sales tax

April 24th Afternoon State Tax Update

Virginia enacted a biennial budget, which includes a new excise tax on “skill games.” Meanwhile, Arizona and Connecticut announced plans to convene in special sessions later this year while Oklahoma gets the green light to use rainy day fund money to close budget gaps.

4 min read
Maryland digital advertising tax litigation internet tax, Maryland digital ad tax, Maryland tax increases and Maryland tax proposals 2021

April 10th Afternoon State Tax Update

California extends tax filing and payment deadline to July 31 for a broad spectrum of business taxes as Virginia keeps May 1st tax filing deadline.

5 min read
California

April 2nd Evening State Tax Update

California extends tax filing and payment deadline to July 31 for a broad spectrum of business taxes as Virginia keeps May 1st tax filing deadline.

4 min read

A Visual Guide to Unemployment Benefit Claims

Another 1.4 million Americans filed initial regular unemployment benefit claims, the eleventh week of a decline in the rate of new claims, but still among the highest levels in U.S. history. The total number of new and continued claims now stands at 19.3 million, a marked decline from the peak of 24.9 million a month ago.

7 min read
How high are vapor taxes in your state? State nicotine tax rates, state taxes on nicotine products

Excise Taxes on Vapor Products Are Trending

While lawmakers are working through the design of vapor tax proposals, they must thread the needle between protecting adult smokers’ ability to switch and barring minors’ access to nicotine products. A good first step is creating appropriate definitions for the new nicotine products to avoid unintended disproportionate taxation based on design differences or bundling.

7 min read
e-cigarette tax, taxing nicotine products, nicotine tax, vaping, vapor

Banning Flavored Tobacco Could Have Unintended Consequences

The prospect of a ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products highlights the complications of contradictory tax and regulatory policy, the instability of excise taxes that go beyond pricing in the cost of externalities, and the public risks of driving consumers into the black market through excessive taxation or regulation.

6 min read
trends in state tax policy, 2019 state tax trends

Tax Trends at the Dawn of 2020

From remote sales tax collection to taxes on marijuana and vaping products, we recap the top state tax trends from 2019 and break down which ones you should watch for in 2020.

38 min read
2019 Election Day 2019, state and local tax ballot measure results, 2019 tax ballot measures, 2019 ballot results

Results of 2019 State and Local Tax Ballot Initiatives

Election Day 2019 will feature notable tax-related ballot measures in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. Once the polls close tonight, beginning with Pennsylvania and Texas at 8 PM EST, we will begin tracking the results as they come in.

4 min read