State tax rates and rules for income, sales, gas, property, cigarette, and other taxes that impact middle-class families. Go to the Kiplinger Tax Map California Add to State Compare List | View List View State Compare List (0) selected | Compare up to 5 The Bottom Line Most-Tax Friendly The Golden State's reputation as a high-tax destination is built in part on how aggressively it goes after big earners, with a 13.3% tax rate that kicks in at $1 million (for single filers) of taxable income. But the state's brackets are very progressive, so for more modest incomes, the impact is far milder. It's a similar story with property taxes, which in wealthy areas like Silicon Valley are high (and much lamented). Looking at statewide median rates, though, California's property taxes are the 16th-lowest in the country. Where do Californians pay high taxes? On gasoline, for one. Sales taxes are up there, too. Income Tax Range Low: 1% (on up to $18,650 of taxable income for married joint filers and up to $9,325 for those filing individually)High: 13.3% (on more than $1,250,738 for married joint filers and $1 million for those filing individually) Sales Tax 7.25% state levy. Localities can add as much as 2.5%, and the average combined rate is 8.82%, according to the Tax Foundation.Groceries: ExemptClothing: TaxableMotor Vehicles: TaxablePrescription Drugs: Exempt Real Property Taxes In California, the median property tax rate is $742 per $100,000 of assessed home value. Motor Fuel Taxes Gasoline: 68.15¢ per gallon (70.95¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022). Diesel: 99.91¢ per gallon (102.01¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022)(Both rates are the highest in the country). Sin Taxes Cigarettes: $2.87 per packAll other tobacco products: 63.49% of wholesale cost (61.74% effective July 1, 2022)Vapor products: 63.49% of wholesale cost (plus, beginning July 1, 2022, a 12.5% excise tax)Beer: $0.20 per gallonWine: $0.20 per gallon ($0.30 per gallon for champagne and sparkling wine)Liquor: $3.30 per gallon (100 proof or less); $6.60 per gallon (over 100 proof)Marijuana: Retail sales are taxed at 15% by the state; local taxes may also be due. For 2022, cultivators are taxed $10.08 per dry-weight ounce of cannabis flower, $3 per dry-weight ounce of cannabis leaf, and $1.41 per ounce of cannabis plant. Annual Car Taxes and Fees An annual vehicle license fee based on the car's purchase price or value is imposed. You can deduct the fee from your income tax. The fee is reduced for the first 11 years of ownership. Estate and Inheritance Taxes No estate or inheritance tax.