San Rafael (CA) Sales Tax
The San Rafael sales tax rate is 9.25%
| Taxing jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|
| California state sales tax | 6.00% |
| Marin County sales tax | 0.25% |
| City tax | 1.00% |
| Special tax | 2.00% |
| Combined Sales Tax | 9.25% |
San Rafael sales Tax Calculator California
To make it easier to calculate the San Rafael (CA) Sales tax, we have created a calculator. All that you need to input is the zip code and the number of goods bought. The calculator will tell you how much you should approximately pay in sales tax. The tools are free to use and very simple.
How does the San Rafael sales tax compare to the rest of California?
Each vendor in the USA needs to charge sales tax to the items and services that they sell. The Department of Revenue collects the sales tax proceeds from the vendors. The San Rafael, CA sales tax rate is 9.25%. This includes 6.00% California state sales tax, 0.25% Marin County sales tax and 2.00% special tax.
A merchant adds the sales tax to all the qualifying sales completed in San Rafael, CA. The San Rafael sales tax should be clearly stated on the invoice. There are some specific goods and services are tax-exempt in San Rafael (California). Alcohol, tobacco and gas are subject to excise tax.
The 9.25% sales tax rate of the San Rafael, CA applies to the following list of zip codes: 94901, 94903, 94912, 94915.
The vendor needs to check their district zip code to make sure that they are charging the right sales tax for the business transactions.
There are 59648 people in and around San Rafael. It is important to be aware that zip-code boundaries do not always coincide with general boundaries. Therefore, when choosing sales tax rates, you should not focus only on zip-codes. In the event of a dispute, it is recommended that you contact the Internal Revenue Service to determine sales tax rates for you.
Alternative sales tax rate for San Rafael
| City | Combined Tax | State Rate | County Tax | City Tax | Special Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rohnert Park |
9.00% | 6.00% | 0.25% | 0.50% | 2.25% |
|
Belvedere Tiburon |
8.25% | 6.00% | 0.25% | 0% | 2.00% |
Popular questions about sales tax in San Rafael
Sales taxes are regulated by state and federal laws. Since states control the amount of sales tax that they charge locally, some others have decided to omit sales taxes at all to facilitate transactions. There are municipalities, or cities that can impose their taxes. As of right now, there are 5 states in the USA that do not charge a state sales tax. These states are Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire.
When you purchase a car, the laws regarding the applicable sales tax are a bit more complicated. The first factor to consider is that there is a base 6% sales tax. Let’s say that your car costs 10k. You pay 6% on that, which is $600 on sales tax. On top of this cost, you also pay fees for vehicle registration and licenses. If you complete the transaction via a dealership, then all this paperwork and its cost are factored in on the sales agreement. If you buy the car via a private seller, then it is you, the buyer that needs to process all this paperwork via the local tax office and vehicle registration office. You would be responsible for paying registration fees and the title.
States allow for trade-in allowances, and this is a fantastic way to reduce your tax bill. Instead of selling your old vehicle, and then incurring sales taxes on that transaction, you can bring your old vehicle to the dealership and do a trade-in allowance for a new car. The value of the trade-in is reduced from the sticker price of the car that your intent to purchase. Then some dealerships offer rebates, which further reduces your total sales tax.
Let’s say that you will purchase the same car as in the above example that costs 10k. Instead, this time you have an old car to do a trade-in that is valued at 2k. The dealership offers you a 1k rebate offer. In that case, your sales tax will not be charged anymore on the original price of 10k, but it will be charged on the reduced price after the rebate and the trade-in. More specifically, we will reduce from 10k, the value of the rebate (1k) and the value of the trade-in (2k), hence a total of 3k of discount. We would end up paying out-of-pocket 7k. The applicable sales tax on a 7k car is $7000*6%= $420. We can see that we are paying a lower sales tax compared to the previous tax of $600. We are not paying any taxes on the old car that you brought for a rebate and not paying any sales taxes on that.
There are some special goods and services that do not qualify for the sales tax rate but instead are charged another rate. The most common category of these items falls under the excise tax. This is a special tax rate that is charged to gas, fuel, tobacco, and other goods that are heavily regulated by the government. Some services qualify for excise tax, such as using the highway. Air travel is in this category too.
To collect taxes as a business you need a tax id number. You can get thus form the IRS . You get a sales tax id by using the information from the tax id number. A sales certificate is proof that you are buying something for business use and that you intend to resell the thing that you bought. The sales certificate allows a business to buy goods and services without a sales tax.
The first detail to know about sales taxes is that some states imposer the sale tax on the vendor, some to the buyer, and some states place sales taxes on both entities. It is important to know who pays the tax, as this affects whether you can claim the taxes as a refund or not.