With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Shop quickly: Measure M half-cent sales tax increase kicks in July 1
FILE PHOTO: A cash register shows the purchase of an LCD screen TV. Residents in Los Angeles County will be paying a base of 9.25 percent sales tax as of July 1, 2017.
(
Aranami via Flickr
)
FILE PHOTO: A cash register shows the purchase of an LCD screen TV. Residents in Los Angeles County will be paying a base of 9.25 percent sales tax as of July 1, 2017.
(
Aranami via Flickr
)
Listen
1:06
Shop quickly: Measure M half-cent sales tax increase kicks in July 1
If you’re planning a big purchase in Los Angeles County, you might want to do it Friday instead of Saturday when the Measure M sales tax increase takes effect.
In November, voters approved a half cent sales tax increase to fund transportation projects that will bump the base sales tax in L.A. County to 9.25 percent. Depending on where you live and local taxes, that could rise to as much as 10.25 percent.
Savvy shopper Michael Riddick made sure to get his big camera purchase in under the wire.
"I’m lucky that I ordered the camera about four days ago so I’m gonna get some kind of a discount before the increase comes," he said.
Sponsored message
Riddick bought a Canon DSLR camera at a price of $1,249. He paid $109.29 in sales tax but if he’d waited until Saturday it would have cost him $6.24 more.
Sales tax rates vary city by city in L.A. County with Compton, La Mirada, Long Beach, Pico Rivera and South Gate having the highest rates – all will bump up to 10.25 percent.
On Oct. 1, the voter-approved Measure H quarter-cent sales tax will take effect to fund services for the homeless. That will increase the base rate in L.A. county to 9.5 percent. Those cities with the highest rates will see a 10.5 percent sales tax – tying parts of Chicago for the most expensive in the country.
You can see the current sales tax rate in your city here. Add a half-cent to figure out the rate as of July 1 and another quarter-cent to calculate the rate as of Oct. 1.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
