Comparing Options to Raise and Lower Taxes [Publication Details]

Mar 24, 2026 - This report lays out various options to raise and lower taxes in California and offers a comparative evaluation of those options in the areas of budgeting, economy, taxpayer experience, progressivity, and fairness.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5170

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Credits may be used to offset either personal income or corporation taxes and can be carried forward for up to six years. Over 1,200 credit agreements have been approved by GO-Biz since the program ’s inception.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

The 2026-27 Budget: State Mandate—Disclosure Requirements and Deferral of Property Taxation

Feb 19, 2026 - The Commission determined that Los Angeles County incurred reimbursable costs processing deferment requests and adding the required disclosure to property tax bills. The Commission determined that the county incurred a total amount of about $30,000 in back-year costs (incurred between 2022 and 2024), and about $8,000 in ongoing costs thereafter.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5130

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - Excludes Some Military Retirement Income From Income Taxes. The budget package excludes the first $20,000 of military retirement benefits, including retirement pay and survivor benefits, from state income taxation starting in tax year 2025.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

Effect of Returning to Historical Estimated Tax Payment Schedule

Feb 27, 2023 - State law requires taxpayers to pay income taxes as they earn income. Most taxpayers meet this requirement through income tax withholding that is taken out of their regular paycheck. Businesses and some individuals with significant capital gains or other nonwage income instead make quarterly estimated tax payments to meet this state requirement.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4722

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Mar 18, 2025 - Credits may be used to offset either personal income or corporation taxes and can be carried forward for up to six years. Grant Program Added as Alternative to Tax Credits. Since the tax credit is nonrefundable, businesses without a significant California tax liability cannot utilize the credit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5018

Local Sales Tax Rebates in 2023-24

Sep 16, 2025 - Figure  4 compares these areas ’ incomes and unemployment rates to the state as a whole. Median annual household incomes in rebate-paying jurisdictions are a bit higher than the statewide average. The average unemployment rate in jurisdictions that paid $1 to $20 per resident is very close to the statewide average.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5074

Community Land Trust Property Tax Exemption

Dec 20, 2024 - Chapter  636 of 2022 (AB  1206, Bennett) modified the rules community land trust properties must meet to qualify for the property tax exemption, making it easier for properties to maintain their exemption when low-income residents experience a modest gain in income.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4946

The 2021-22 Budget: Business Tax Incentives

Jan 28, 2021 - In September 2020, the Legislature created the Main Street Credit, which provides income or sales tax credits to eligible small businesses that added jobs in the second half of 2020. Each eligible business receives a credit of $1,000 for each new job.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4327

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - As Figure  10 shows with some illustrative numbers, this employment tax raises the cost of adding a new employee to a business and that cost is proportionately higher for a low wage worker than a high wage worker.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943