The California Senate has recently approved higher sales taxes on health insurance and digital software. The expectation of paying more taxes in the future displeased many California voters, who complained about the measure online.
According to KCRA 3, the Senate approved two bills intended to help California pass a $355 billion budget amid federal funding cuts. The new tax on health plans is expected to cost individuals around $100 more per year and raise approximately $2 billion annually. The revenue would help fund California’s Medi-Cal program.
The other bill would impose a 7.25% sales tax on digital software sold in the state and is expected to generate at least $900 million per year. For these measures to become law, California Governor Gavin Newsom must sign them, which he is reportedly expected to do by the end of June.
Californians Are Not Happy With More Taxes
California residents on Reddit’s r/California were overwhelmingly opposed to the prospect of additional taxes, which many argued are already too high in the state. One user complained: “Can’t wait to pay more for less. How much is enough? The answer is that it will never be enough, as long as Sacramento knows it can go back to the well anytime it wants. How much more blood can they squeeze from a stone?”
One seemingly furious user expressed little hope for the future: “And our next governor is going to look for even more ways to tax us to death and avoid doing anything to tackle inequality. Another four to eight years of this until we elect our next corrupt neoliberal.” Someone else described the taxes as “death by a thousand cuts. The number of small taxes and fees on every aspect of living and every transaction in this state is insufferable.”
One resident expressed frustration by saying, “Why can’t they just tax the rich their fair share instead of making consumers pay for it?” Many others agreed, with one user arguing that “the devil is in the details. Want to raise taxes? Fine. We live in a society. But raising sales taxes is one of the most regressive ways to do it.”
While the proposed taxes have not yet been signed into law, they appear likely to move forward. If that happens, these reactions indicate that Californians will not be happy with the change.
