“I’d consider a broader sales tax only if it’s part of revenue neutral tax reform, such as abolishing California’s income tax and the Franchise Tax Board, along with other taxes that destroy jobs,” said Runner. “I hope this report stimulates conversation about how taxes can be simpler, and how we can attract more jobs to our state.”Runner strongly opposes Senate Bill 8 (Hertzberg), which would impose a $10 billion tax increase on service industries. But last month, Runner signaled he would be open to scrapping California’s income tax in favor of a greater reliance on consumption-oriented taxes. He’s also called for dynamic economic modeling that would show the benefits of such a change.
“The size and scope of California’s service-related industry is mind-blowingly large,” said Runner. “The last thing overtaxed Californians need is another tax. These numbers are dangerous in the hands of legislators who want to raise taxes.”
The revenue report was produced by the Board of Equalization Research and Statistics Section at the request of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.
Elected in November 2010 and re-elected in 2014, George Runner represents more than nine million Californians as a member of the State Board of Equalization. For more information, visit www.boe.ca.gov/Runner.
