LA County shoppers stunned by 'Measure A' sales tax hike as some now pay over 11%
If you live in LA County, you could pay more at the check out. Starting April 1, the sales tax rate in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County — and in cities without their own special tax measures — increased from 9.5% to 9.75%.
But that's just the baseline. Many cities across the county — including Long Beach, Glendale and West Hollywood — will now see a 10.5% tax. Others, like Lancaster and Palmdale, have pushed rates even higher, up to 11.25%, after approving their own additional tax hikes.
I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10)
Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it
The increase comes as voters approved Measure A in November 2024, which replaced the existing Measure H quarter-cent tax with a half-cent tax hike. The increase is aimed at funding countywide homeless services.
Measure A is expected to generate more than $1 billion annually for LA County. It officially took effect on April 1, 2025 and will remain in place until it is repealed by voters. The tax revenue will be split between two initiatives:
60% will go toward homeless services, including programs for mental health, substance use disorders and permanent housing placement.
40% is earmarked for building affordable housing through the newly formed Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency and the Los Angeles County Development Authority.
Some cities, including Santa Monica and Pico Rivera, which were previously excluded from Measure H, are now subject to the new rules. The change might feel minor — just a few extra cents on smaller buys — but on bigger-ticket items, those cents can really add up.
CBS News reporter Jeff Nguyen visited Westlake Village, a city divided by county lines — and also bottom lines. One side, in Ventura County, pays just 7.25% in tax while the LA County side of the city now pays 9.75% tax. He spoke to one shopper who says she'll go to the side of town that has lower taxes.
'So if I have a choice, I'm going to the one where it's less,' Laura told CBS.
Another shopper was frustrated by the changes during a time when she's trying to spend less.
'As soon as I saw the bill today, I was like, whoa! I'm pregnant so I'm trying to save money during this time,' shopper Brittney Mukhar told CBS.
Adding to the frustration, not everyone is convinced the additional funds will be well spent. LA County leaders have faced criticism after a recent audit found the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) could not track how nearly $2.5 billion in funding was spent.
'I'm all for helping the homeless — I'm not for wasting my money,' said Laura.
Read more: The US stock market's 'fear gauge' has exploded — but this 1 'shockproof' asset is up 14% and helping American retirees stay calm. Here's how to own it ASAP
With higher prices and economic uncertainty already straining household budgets, even a modest increase in sales tax can affect your bottom line. Here are a few ways to soften the blow.
If you're buying expensive electronics, furniture or even a car, consider shopping in a neighboring county with a lower sales tax. A drive to Ventura County, for example, could save you hundreds of dollars on a large purchase.
Even a small uptick in spending adds up over time. Review your budget and tweak spending categories — especially for things that are now taxed more heavily. Ask yourself whether a purchase is necessary or if it can wait until a sale — or until you're in a lower-tax zone.
Use store apps, digital coupons and meal planning to save on groceries and essentials. Every little bit helps offset the higher tax.
If you can pay off your balance in full, cash back cards can help take the sting out of taxes and everyday spending. Look for cards offering extra rewards on groceries or gas and use those rewards to offset the tax increase.
While the aim of the new sales tax is to address one of the county's most pressing issues, everyday consumers are left to figure out how to make their dollars stretch a little further.
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead
Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump is increasingly hostile to China. He's playing with fire
Despite widespread concerns that the trade war is dragging down America's economy, President Donald Trump has notched quite a few wins on his economic belt in recent weeks. Inflation keeps falling. Jobs remain plentiful. And there's growing evidence the economy could be booming this quarter. That's why Trump's increasingly hostile rhetoric about China over the past week was particularly concerning ahead of his call Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump's economy is cookin' – for now. But the economic Jenga tower the Trump administration has constructed is precariously balanced on a host of economic caveats and unproven theories. Renewed trade tensions with the world's second-largest economy threatens to knock the tower to the ground. May 12 represented a major turning point for the global trade war. Delegates from China and the United States announced they would significantly roll back their historically high tariffs on one another. Markets were elated. Wall Street banks curtailed their recession forecasts. And moribund consumer confidence rebounded significantly. That's a significant change from April, when tensions ran so high that trade between the United States and China came to an effective halt. The 145% tariffs on most Chinese imported goods made the math impossible for American businesses to buy virtually anything from China, America's second-largest trading partner. No one wants to return to that. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, America's chief negotiator in the détente with China, said previous tariff levels were 'unsustainable.' That's why he said the countries put in place mechanisms to prevent a re-escalation. But Trump and his administration in recent weeks have grown increasingly hostile toward China, accusing the country of breaking the promises it made in mid-May. China has similarly said the United States has failed to live up to its obligations under the agreement. Trump and Xi held a long-awaited phone call Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said. The White House did not immediately confirm the call, which was also reported by Chinese state media. If the call fails to result in another de-escalation, tensions could boil over, and tariffs could rise again. So could recession forecasts. And the good vibes that have powered a rebound in sentiment and a massive market rally could disappear in a flash. Although virtually no economic reports are entirely good or bad, and with the obvious caveat that monthly economic data are inherently backward looking, US data have been surprisingly resilient lately. So resilient, in fact, that Trump's top economic advisors have made a point of highlighting the widespread predictions of soaring inflation and large-scale job cuts that drove headlines throughout April. 'Everything has been alarmist,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation. 'The inflation numbers are the best in four years, so why don't we stop saying this could happen and wait and see what does happen.' Annual consumer prices grew just 2.3% in April, according to the Consumer Price Index, and inflation that month fell to 2.1%, according to the separate Personal Consumption Expenditures price index. The PCE report is particularly noteworthy, because the Federal Reserve favors that report when it considers whether to change interest rates. Over time, the Fed targets 2% inflation, so America is, at long last, nearing that long-term target after a yearslong bout with historic price hikes. Trump, citing America's low inflation rate, has been bullying Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to boost the economy – even summoning Powell to the White House last week to give him a talking to. As Powell has noted, economic data is looking strong. Jobs data, although weakening, has steadied in recent months. The unemployment rate is hovering at just over 4%, and employers have added a solid number of jobs each month. The number of available jobs in America unexpectedly increased in April, a potential indicator that the labor market remains robust. And a positive effect of trade tensions could at least temporarily benefit America's economy. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy, shifted into reverse in the first quarter as businesses stockpiled goods in anticipation of tariffs. This quarter, imports from foreign countries – particularly China – have fallen dramatically. In April, the US trade deficit shrank by its steepest monthly pace on records, which go back to 1992. That should give America a big, albeit momentary, boost. The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tool currently predicts the US economy will grow at an adjusted annualized rate of 4.6% this quarter, a huge number that would more than make up for the -0.2% rate in the first quarter. But Trump's ramping up of restrictions and public scrutiny of China risks putting sugar in the gas tank just as the engine started humming again. Trump on Wednesday said in a Truth Social post that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was 'extremely hard to make a deal with.' Trade talks have stalled, Bessent said, apparently frustrating Trump. Last week, Trump posted on social media that China 'TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.' Trump said that he made a 'fast deal' with China to 'save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation.' He added: 'So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!' The Trump administration had expected China to lift restrictions on rare earth materials that are critical components for a wide range of electronics, but China has so far refused, causing intense displeasure inside the Trump administration and prompting a recent series of measures to be imposed on the country three administration officials told CNN last week. For example, the White House warned US companies against using AI chips made by China's national tech champion Huawei. It stopped US companies from selling to China software that is used to design semiconductors. And the US State Department announced it would 'aggressively revoke visas' for some Chinese students in America. China, in turn, has accused the United States of 'provoking new economic and trade frictions.' 'The United States has been unilaterally provoking new economic and trade frictions, exacerbating the uncertainty and instability of bilateral economic and trade relations,' the Chinese Commerce Ministry said Sunday. Meanwhile, it's not like tariffs have completely evaporated. Trump's levies still make up the highest effective US tariff rate in nearly a century. The United States maintains a 10% universal tariff on most goods coming into the country, and Trump just doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum this week. He has threatened higher tariffs on dozens of countries that are unable to reach trade deals with the administration over the course of the next month. And China and the United States, despite their de-escalation last month, maintain significant, double-digit tariffs on one another. Economists, Wall Street analysts, business leaders and consumers continue to sound the alarm bell about the trade war, worrying about a toxic combination of rising prices and slowing economic growth. The reality remains the universal exhale across Wall Street and C-Suites after the US-China de-escalation didn't change the fact that signs of a sharp economic downward turn had been pervasive in what economists call 'soft data' for months. In survey after survey capturing business, manufacturing and consumer sentiment, the vibes have remained tangibly anxious even if they've slowed the rapid downward trend. Powell captured that split screen effect best during a May press conference defined by just how many times – and different ways – he could explain Fed officials simply didn't know what would happen next. 'People are worried about inflation, about a shock from tariffs,' Powell told reporters. 'But that shock hasn't hit yet.' Surveys data doesn't necessarily serve as leading indicators for the hard economic data to come, and were shown to be particularly divergent over the course of the last five years. Trump's ability to flip a switch and ease the all-consuming pressure on the global economy, at least somewhat, is probably the most blunt and effective tool in modern history to reverse any sentiment doom spiral. But some underlying data is raising concerns. A government report this week showed layoffs in April leapt higher by nearly 200,000 to 1.786 million, reversing a similarly sized drop seen in March. Initial unemployment claims rose to 247,000 last week, far more than estimated. And outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported Thursday that American employers announced 94,000 layoffs in May – down 12% from April but up 47% from last year. Layoff announcements have spiked 80% this year. Last week, a key economic report showed consumer spending rose just 0.2% in April, a weaker-than-anticipated reading and a significant retreat from March. And some consumer and business survey data remain incredibly weak. Consumer sentiment remained near historic lows reached in March despite recent trade deal announcements, according to the University of Michigan. And the Fed's beige book, a collection of business leaders' reactions to the economic environment, showed that companies across industries are remaining deeply uncertain about the economy – particularly because of the trade war. That sentiment, if it remains static and pairs with the pervasive and paralyzing corporate uncertainty, can start to bleed into the underlying data. There have been warning signs of that occurring of late. 'I would say surprisingly little direct impact so far in the data that's coming out,' Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austin Goolsbee said this week. 'We don't know if that will remain true for the next month or two.' So good news could ultimately turn bad, even without escalating tensions with China. But a return to tit-for-tat tariffs and closed borders could make matters significantly worse. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick keeps relitigating his disastrous CBS interview
Bill Belichick is one of the greatest football coaches of all time. His P.R. instincts leave much to be desired. Beyond entrusting his personal brand to his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, Belichick has a bad habit of not letting sleeping dogs lie and/or dead horses go unbeaten. Case in point, now reports that Belichick's book publicist assured Belichick that the disastrous CBS interview would be only about Belichick's book. Advertisement The report emerged today, more than a month after the CBS interview aired. And it has reanimated a dormant issue. The article cites an April 9 email from Simon & Schuster's senior director of publicity David Kass to Belichick. Wrote Kass: "I can assure you that the conversation [will be] about the book." Kass also reportedly told Belichick the CBS interview would be a "puff piece . . . designed to make everyone look good and sell books." (Somewhat surprisingly, the new report doesn't blame Kass for suggesting that Belichick wear an old football jersey with a giant hole in the neck to the CBS interview.) Per Belichick was "furious" when the CBS interview strayed beyond book topics. Then there's this: "Sources say Belichick had actually shot down several interview opportunities Kass had put in front of him over concerns the media outlets would use his book promotion as a way to pry into subjects not related to the actual book." Advertisement It's a fascinating development, for several reasons. First, the story is smeared with Belichick's (or Hudson's) fingerprints. Which means that one or both decided to dredge up a dead story, weeks after the fact. Which also means that one or both believed the new story would cause people to say, "Well, now we understand why she weirdly refused to let him answer the basic question of how they met." Second, one or both decided to throw Kass under the bus, both directly and by potentially instigating a stray, conspiracy theory-inducing remark that Kass "once helped Jeff Benedict's Robert Kraft-themed book, The Dynasty, reach the New York Times' bestseller list." Kass is painted as the villain in this, the one who lied to Belichick about what the CBS interview was going to be. Third, Belichick did other interviews in which questions unrelated to the book were asked — after the CBS sit-down. Michael Strahan asked a few personal questions on Good Morning America. Ryan Clark asked questions about Hudson on The Pivot Podcast. (Then again, those questions apparently were scripted to help Belichick undo the CBS-related P.R. damage.) Advertisement Fourth, Belichick and/or Hudson apparently have decided to try to get on their side by spoon-feeding information to the outlet. Given the extent to which had been hammering all things Belichick and Hudson, a subtle quid pro quo that gets to play nice in exchange for current and future information would be a smart move by Belichick. Make no mistake about it. The issue is back on the front burner because Belichick and/or Hudson decided it would be a smart move to point a finger at Kass, weeks after the fact. And it's just the latest time Belichick and/or Hudson have blamed others for their own blunders. He/she/they have blamed CBS for editing the interview to create a "false narrative." He/she/they have blamed North Carolina for not having a sufficient P.R. function in place when he arrived. He/she/they now blame Kass for failing to (wait for it) "do his job" properly. It's always someone else's fault. It's never their fault. And they presumably think people will buy the idea that they're the victims of widespread incompetence and malfeasance.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
San Mateo Co. supervisors to decide on starting removal process for Sheriff Christina Corpus
San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a special meeting Thursday afternoon in which they are expected to decide on initiating the process to remove embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus from office. Supervisors gained the power to remove the sheriff after 84% of voters approved Measure A in a special election in March. The measure temporarily amended the County Charter to remove a sheriff from office for cause. Corpus has been facing months of scrutiny following a scathing independent report released last November by retired judge LaDoris Cordell into allegations of abuse of power at the sheriff's office. Cordell's report made multiple accusations against the sheriff, including intimidation, retaliation, the use of racial and homophobic slurs and conflicts of interest. Corpus is also accused of having a personal relationship with Victor Aenelle, her chief of staff. The report concluded that "Sheriff Corpus step down and that Victor Aenlle's employment by the sheriff's office be terminated immediately. Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization." The sheriff has repeatedly denied the allegations and has refused multiple calls to resign from local leaders and Deputy Sheriff's Association, which led to supervisors calling for the special election. In April, Corpus released her own report rebuttting Cordell's investigation. Corpus has also filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county, alleging discrimination and harassment. Under Measure A, removal of Corpus requires a four-fifths majority vote by the board of supervisors and Corpus will have an opportunity to defend her case. The board's authority to remove the sheriff expires at the end of 2028. Corpus, the county's first Latina sheriff, was elected in 2022. Thursday's board meeting is scheduled take place at the Board Chambers in Redwood City at 1 p.m.
