Taxes [in California] are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World.
Evidence and Verdict
For
A 2025 Tax Foundation analysis (reported by PolitiFact) found that New York was the costliest state by combined state and local per-capita tax burden and that California ranked second, indicating California is among the highest-taxed U.S. states. The Tax Foundation data also show per-capita state and local tax collections well above the nationwide average in the highest-ranked places, supporting the broader claim that California has a very high tax burden.
Against
The same Tax Foundation finding shows California is not the single highest-taxed state in the U.S. (New York is higher), so the assertion that California has the highest taxes of any state is incorrect. State tax burdens vary by measure (income tax rates, per-capita state+local collections, etc.); NPR reporting shows other states lead on specific measures such as top income-tax rates and several states have no income tax, and none of the provided sources support the broader, international claim that California’s taxes are the highest in the world.
Verdict
California is demonstrably among the highest-taxed U.S. states but not the highest by the cited national per-capita measure (it ranks second), and the claim’s international comparison is unsupported in the provided sources, so the statement is partially true but also contains false/unverified elements.
Sources
Comparing tax burdens, New York at (or near) the top of ...
Comparing tax burdens, New York at (or near) the top of ... - Apr 6, 2026
The think tank also measured how much state and local governments collect per person in every state, and it published its findings in 2025. The nationwide average of state and local tax burden per...
Open sourceThese are the states with the highest and lowest tax ...
These are the states with the highest and lowest tax ... - Apr 6, 2026
The states with the highest burden for income tax are New York (4.72%), Maryland (4.21%) and Oregon (3.62%). There are nine states with no income tax – Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South...
Open sourceJoe Biden miscalculates how much billionaires pay in taxes
Joe Biden miscalculates how much billionaires pay in taxes - Apr 6, 2026
Steven M. Rosenthal and Robert McClelland, "Taxing Capital Gains at Death at A Higher Rate Than During Life," May 13, 2022
Open sourceCalifornia Budget Crisis - Page 8
California Budget Crisis - Page 8 - Apr 6, 2026
### How California’s Bullet Train Went Off the Rails
Open sourceIncome tax rates were 90 percent under Eisenhower, ...
Income tax rates were 90 percent under Eisenhower, ... - Apr 6, 2026
The Poynter Institute
Open sourceTrump sees a future without federal income taxes, but ...
Trump sees a future without federal income taxes, but ... - Apr 6, 2026
The Poynter Institute
Open source