On January 1, 2017, the statewide sales and use tax rate will decrease one quarter of one percent (0.25%). The decrease in the statewide rate is effective for all cities and counties in California. Sales tax is comprised of the statewide sales and use tax rate of 7.25 percent plus any district tax. For most of Orange County California the the new sales tax is 7.75 percent down from 8.00 percent.
Most of Orange County is a full 1.00 percent or more less than Los Angeles County.
Why is the sales and use tax rate decreasing? Proposition 30, The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 that was approved by California voters in November 2012 to temporarily increase the sales and use tax by 0.25 percent expires December 31, 2016.
A retailer who continues to charge and collect the higher statewide sales and use tax rate after January 1, 2017, must either refund the excess tax collected to their customer or pay the excess tax to the Board of Equalization (BOE). You may not keep it.
List of Orange County Sales Tax Rates as of January 1, 2017.
| Counties | Rate | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | 7.750 % | Aliso Viejo* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Anaheim* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Atwood |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Balboa (Newport Beach*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Balboa Island (Newport Beach*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Ballroad |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Bolsa |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Brea* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Brookhurst Center |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Buena Park* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Capistrano Beach (Dana Point*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Costa Mesa* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Coto De Caza |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Cowan Heights |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Dana Point* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | East Irvine (Irvine*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | El Modena |
| Orange | 7.750 % | El Toro (Lake Forest*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | El Toro M.C.A.S. |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Foothill Ranch |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Fountain Valley* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Fullerton* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Garden Grove* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Huntington |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Huntington Beach* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Irvine* |
| Orange | 8.250 % | La Habra* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | La Palma* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Ladera Ranch |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Laguna Beach* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Laguna Hills* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Laguna Niguel* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Laguna Woods* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Lake Forest* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Leisure World |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Leisure World (Seal Beach*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Los Alamitos* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Mariner |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Midway City |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Mission Viejo* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Monarch Beach (Dana Point*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Newport Beach* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Orange* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Placentia* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Rancho Santa Margarita* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Rossmoor |
| Orange | 7.750 % | San Clemente* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | San Juan Capistrano* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | San Juan Plaza (San Juan Capistrano*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Santa Ana* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Seal Beach* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Silverado Canyon |
| Orange | 7.750 % | South Laguna (Laguna Beach*) |
| Orange | 8.750 % | Stanton* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Sunset Beach |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Surfside (Seal Beach*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Trabuco Canyon |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Tustin* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | University Park (Irvine*) |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Villa Park* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Westminster* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Yorba Linda* |
| Orange | 7.750 % | Cypress* |
(Note: “*” next to city indicates incorporated city)
Obtained from California State Board of Equalization website January 4, 2017.
To go to California State Board of Equalization website and check tax rates for different cities or counties click here.