When Reyna Bonilla lost her job cleaning hotel rooms in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, she used tax credits and other pandemic relief to chip away at past-due rent so she and her two children could stay in their Koreatown apartment in Los Angeles. This year things are different. Bonilla cleans homes a […]
Taxes
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Gavin Newsom was the Face of Legal Cannabis in California. Can He Fix Its Problems?
When California voters legalized marijuana for recreational use in November 2016, it was also a victory for Gavin Newsom, who spent months traveling the state as the face of the campaign. At an election night party at a San Francisco nightclub, the then-lieutenant governor celebrated this “point of pride,” telling attendees that California had sent […]
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Here’s What’s Ahead for California Businesses in 2022
Clogged supply chains. Hiring struggles. New mask rules. A virus that trampled right over return-to-work schedules. Last year was chaotic for many businesses across California. What does 2022 hold? Layered on top of pandemic uncertainty is the question of what policymakers might do for — and to — businesses. “2022 is going to be a […]
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County Allows Cannabis Growers to Apply for Tax Refunds in Wake of Court Ruling
After a an appeals court ruled the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors overstepped when it “impermissibly broadened the scope” of the cannabis tax voters approved in 2016, the county is beginning the process of refunding potentially millions of dollars in tax payments. In a press release issued today, the county is introducing a process for […]
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McGuire Looks to Create Statewide TOT Tax Collection System for Short-term Rentals
North Coast state Sen. Mike McGure has introduced a bill that looks to create a statewide system for collecting taxes from short-term rentals to aid cities and counties in accessing “untapped revenue,” according to a release from his office. Senate Bill 555 would require short-term rental services like Airbnb and VRBO to collect the taxes […]
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California’s Stimulus Package is Bringing Aid to Immigrants, Undocumented Taxpayers Left Out of Federal Aid
Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved and signed the Golden State Stimulus package, which includes a one-time payment of $600 or $1,200 to low-income residents, including undocumented taxpayers. The one-time stimulus checks are slated to go to an estimated 5.7 million low-income residents making less than $30,000 a year. According to a release from the governor’s […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
State Agency Recommends Cannabis Tax Overhaul
When it comes to California’s cannabis tax system, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office just sent a crystal clear message to the state Legislature: You’re doing it all wrong. In a long-awaited bombshell report released last week, the LAO recommended a major overhaul of the current system, which it described as overly complex and burdensome. But […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Death, Taxes and McConnell’s Obstruction
In case you thought the U.S. House of Representatives couldn’t impeach and chew gum at the same time, the House made history last week and it had nothing to do with all those quids and quos rolling out in the House Intelligence Committee hearings. The House Judiciary Committee voted 24-10, with two Republicans joining the […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
The 2024 Tipping Point
It’s no secret that California’s recreational cannabis market has limped out of the gates. Eighteen months into this grand legalization experiment in the world’s fifth largest economy, sales and tax revenue have lagged behind projections and much of the state has prohibited retail sales. Meanwhile, consumers complain of high prices and those within the industry […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Testing and Taxes
The state of California is in the midst of its first large-scale cannabis testing scandal. Sequoia Analytical Labs, based in Sacramento, was one of just 44 licensed testing facilities in the state until it surrendered its license to the state last week after it was discovered the company’s lab director had been falsifying test results, […]
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3rd UPDATE: Measure K Surges Ahead, M Falters
3rd UPDATE: With the final election night report in and 100 percent of county precincts reporting, the fates of most local ballot measures appear set and Measure K has pulled ahead in the final election night tally. Here’s the latest on the measures: Measure H, which would impose a 10 percent transient occupancy tax in […]
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Measure Madness
While it’s always the candidates that generate the most buzz, there’s a lot at stake in Humboldt County on Nov. 6 beyond who ultimately ends up taking seats on city councils and the harbor district. A total of eight local ballot measures will decide tens of millions of dollars of local funding decades into the […]