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Why does California have the highest sales tax rates?

I thought that it might be because of the population, but that doesn't really sound like it. I also thought that it was because of the land size, but Texas and Alaska are waaaaay~ bigger. This is used for one of my research projects, so please explain clearly. Thanks :)

4 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    There are places in New York and Illinois that you have to pay about 11 percent. I am sure it will go up from there too. Rich people get sick of it and move out and the government cannot understand that need does not guarantee a source is available. Governments all over the world have absolute power over the taxpayers and therefor never have to deal with "just can't do it" like citizens do. So it is assumed that citizens are an endless source of revenue and those that are driven to the streets and then mysteriously disappear in the bushes (freeze, starve, die from disease) are just incidental cases and not caused by taxes empoverishing society. Also the ridiculous government programs that aim to help the poor are so ineffective but the government pretends they work fine and buys the bogus statistics (eg "unemployment rate") as if they are truth and evidence that the people are doing better than they really are.

    There are many places that have very high sales tax considering all the factors. I have shopped for groceries in Alabama and Tennessee and had to pay 9 and 8 percent on groceries. I am sure many other states are like that too. Also many truck stops in several states charge around 15 percent sales tax. I do not know why or how they get away with it but I have looked at my receipts and done the math-many times that is what it figures to.

  • 1 decade ago

    Because the property taxes there are artificially low.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    because it's the worst place in the US. Look at the governator...

  • 1 decade ago

    It doesn't. Chicago does.

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