Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - Options A, B, and C, which largely maintain the current CNI calculation, are all similar to the current CNI historically. By maintaining an estimate for household fuels and other utilities, option C has the most fidelity to the current CNI concept.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

The 2018-19 Budget: California Hiring Tax Credits

Mar 15, 2018 - In 2014, however, only 901 c laims for qualified employees were made. These claims were associated with $340, 822 i n credits. Consequently, only about 8  p ercent of the 11, 554 r eservations received that year ultimately resulted in a credit.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3784

The 2019-20 Budget: Analysis of Proposed Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion

Mar 6, 2019 - The Legislature expanded the state EITC for tax year 2018 i n two ways. First, the income limits were raised from $22, 300 t o $24,950 for filers with dependents and from $15, 000 t o $16,750 for workers with no dependents.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3960

Taxation of Sugary Drinks

Nov 26, 2018 - As shown in Figure  3, for example, a one cent per ounce tax results in a tax of $0. 12 o n a can of cola and $0. 64 o n a large bottle of cranberry juice cocktail. For a given container size, this type of tax treats all sugary drinks equally, regardless of their sugar content or other characteristics.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3903

Managing California’s Cash

Sep 3, 2019 - A subsequent related case in 1936 c hallenged the state ’s authority to pay registered warrants in the following biennium —that is, to have the liability cross fiscal years. Again, the court found that the Legislature was within its legal authority to do so.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4092

The 2023-24 Budget: California's Film Tax Credit

Feb 28, 2023 - Jackson, C. Kirabo, Rucker C. Johnson, and Claudia Persico. “The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms. ” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 131.1 (2016): 157 ‑218.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4713

The 2021-22 Budget: Business Tax Incentives

Jan 28, 2021 - For example, if a business had committed to hiring 100 n ew employees but only hired 80, the state might recapture 20  p ercent of the tax credits. Latest Round Differed From Prior Periods More Businesses Applied for Credits in 2020.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4327

Evaluation of the Property Tax Postponement Program

Oct 8, 2018 - Suppose a homeowner was choosing between PTP and HECM to help pay for five years of property taxes on a house with a taxable value of $300, 000 —representing around $18, 000 i n property taxes. Under PTP, the homeowner would repay the total principal amount plus about $1, 200 i n interest costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3885

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - As  shown in Figure  4 , the state began this period in Schedule C but quickly moved to Schedule F+, the highest tax schedule, where it has remained since. Tax System Had No Room to Work in the Great Recession.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

The 2020-21 Budget: Expanding the Minimum Franchise Tax Exemption

Mar 23, 2020 - This estimate assumes that about 125, 000 n ew eligible noncorporate taxpayers claim the exemption each year. (The revenue assumption also makes a rough adjustment for the timing of the revenue effect in the first year.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4207