Tax Foundation Legal Victory: California City Must Refund Illegally Collected Tax April 26, 2013 Joseph Bishop-Henchman Joseph Bishop-Henchman The California Supreme Court gave a victory to taxpayers yesterday, unanimously ruling (PDF) that the City of Long Beach must recognize class claims to refund illegally collected telephone taxes. We filed a brief in the case, McWilliams v. City of Long Beach, where the city refused to refund the tax unless each taxpayer individually requested a refund. Our brief noted that class claims foster accountability and that state law requires government revenue agencies to adopt a fair and transparent refund process that disgorge illegally collected revenue. Congratulations to the Court and to the people of Long Beach! Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Center for Legal Reform California Excise Taxes Tags Taxpayer Protections