RATE BREAKDOWN
Los Angeles Sales Tax Rate, Broken Down
| Component | Rate |
|---|---|
| California statewide base rate | 7.25% |
| District taxes in Los Angeles | 2.5% |
| Total Los Angeles sales tax | 9.75% |
2026 LOS ANGELES SALES TAX
Los Angeles Sales Tax 2026
Los Angeles sales tax is 9.750% in 2026 — a quarter point higher than it was before April 2025, when Measure A took effect countywide. At that rate, tax is the single largest line on most non-grocery receipts in the city, and it is high enough that shoppers making a big purchase sometimes cross a city line to avoid it.
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Sales tax due
Los Angeles, CA · 9.75%
TOTAL WITH TAX$109.75$9.75 of sales tax
Price 91.1%Sales tax 8.9%
Price before tax$100.00
Sales tax at 9.75%+$9.75
Total$109.75
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Sales tax is charged on the delivery address, not the billing address, and some goods are exempt or taxed differently. See the methodology and source list.
The rate below is pre-filled at 9.750%. Because Los Angeles County contains 88 separate cities, several of which stack their own district taxes on top of the county figure, the box stays editable — a purchase delivered to Santa Monica or Culver City is not taxed at the Los Angeles rate.
CDTFA ratesEffective July 1, 2026Free to Use
CA SALES TAX
Why Los Angeles Sales Tax Went From 9.5% to 9.75%
Until 31 March 2025, the combined rate across Los Angeles County was 9.500%. On 1 April 2025 it became 9.750%, and the reason was a swap rather than a straightforward increase: Measure A, passed by county voters in November 2024, levies a half-cent tax and repealed the quarter-cent Measure H tax it replaced. The net effect on a receipt was a quarter of a cent on the dollar.
Measure H had been due to expire in 2027. Measure A has no such sunset, so the 9.750% figure is not a temporary rate waiting to lapse — it is the baseline going forward unless voters change it again.
In practice this means any rate published for the city before April 2025 is now wrong by 0.250%. On a $2,000 purchase that is a $5 difference, which matters less for a coffee than for a sofa.
CA SALES TAX
City of Los Angeles vs the Rest of LA County
The City of Los Angeles does not levy a district tax of its own. It sits exactly at the 9.750% county figure, which is why the city and county rates on this page are identical.
That is not true of its neighbours. Several LA County cities have passed their own district taxes and charge more than the county baseline — the city you are delivering to, not the county, decides the rate. Because Los Angeles is shaped around other incorporated cities, a delivery address two miles from downtown can easily fall under a different jurisdiction.
NEARBY RATES
How Los Angeles Compares Nearby
Los Angeles County has 88 cities and the rate is not uniform across them. These are the published rates for cities close to Los Angeles — note how many sit above the county baseline.
| City | Sales tax rate | vs Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 9.75% | — |
| Long Beach | 10.5% | +0.75% |
| Santa Monica | 10.75% | +1% |
| Pasadena | 10.5% | +0.75% |
| Glendale | 10.5% | +0.75% |
| Burbank | 10.5% | +0.75% |
| Inglewood | 10.25% | +0.5% |
| Torrance | 10.25% | +0.5% |
| Culver City | 10.75% | +1% |
| Beverly Hills | 9.75% | same |
| Compton | 10.75% | +1% |
TAXABLE OR NOT
What Los Angeles Sales Tax Applies To
Los Angeles is a restaurant city, and the line between taxable and exempt food is where most of the confusion sits. The rules are set by California, not by the city, so they apply identically in Santa Monica or Long Beach.
- A bag of groceries taken home is exempt; the same ingredients served hot at a counter are taxable at the full 9.750%
- Restaurant meals, hot prepared food and most food eaten on the premises are taxable
- Prescription medicines are exempt; over-the-counter medicines generally are not
- Services — a haircut, a repair labour charge — are not subject to California sales tax
- A car bought in Los Angeles is taxed at the rate for the address where it is registered, not the dealer's
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Los Angeles Sales Tax Questions
What is the sales tax rate in Los Angeles?+
The combined rate in the City of Los Angeles is 9.750%. That is California's 7.250% statewide base plus 2.500% of district taxes approved in Los Angeles County. The rate has applied since 1 April 2025.
Why did the rate go up in 2025?+
Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A in November 2024. It imposes a half-cent levy for homeless services and housing, and it repealed and replaced the quarter-cent Measure H tax that was due to expire in 2027. The swap raised the countywide rate from 9.500% to 9.750% on 1 April 2025.
How much is sales tax on $100 in Los Angeles?+
At 9.750%, sales tax on a $100 purchase is $9.75, bringing the total to $109.75. Before April 2025 the same purchase carried $9.50 of tax.
Is the rate the same everywhere in Los Angeles County?+
No. 9.750% is the county baseline and the City of Los Angeles charges exactly that, but several other cities in the county have added district taxes on top and charge more. The correct rate depends on the delivery address, not on the county.
Do I pay the Los Angeles rate on an online order?+
If the order ships to an address inside the City of Los Angeles, yes — 9.750% applies, regardless of where the seller is based. California sources the sale to where the buyer takes delivery. If a seller does not collect it, the buyer generally owes California use tax at the same rate.
Is food taxed in Los Angeles?+
Unprepared groceries are exempt. Hot prepared food, restaurant meals and food consumed on the premises are taxable at the full 9.750%. The distinction is drawn by California law and is the same in every city in the state.
RATE SOURCE
Where These Rates Come From
The 9.750% figure is the CDTFA's published rate for the City of Los Angeles. California district taxes are revised quarterly and Los Angeles County has changed twice in recent years, so check the effective date on any rate you find elsewhere before relying on it. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates, effective July 1, 2026.
Disclaimer: These figures are for planning. Los Angeles County has changed its rate once since 2025, so verify a street address with the CDTFA before filing a return or pricing a large order.
Reviewed by: Paycheck Calculator Editorial Team
Rate table effective: July 1, 2026
OTHER RATES