California Faces New Wave of Local Sales Tax Hikes Amid Legal Loopholes and Voter Confusion

• California has the highest state sales tax rate in the nation, with some cities exceeding 10%.
• Sales taxes are regressive, impacting low
• and middle-income residents more heavily.
• In 2024, most local sales tax increase measures passed, often due to strategic ballot timing and vague language about how funds will be used.
• A court-created loophole from the 2017 Upland decision allows some special taxes to pass with a simple majority instead of a two-thirds vote.
• A major 5-county transit sales tax is planned for the November ballot, likely to exploit this loophole.

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Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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