Lafayette's sales tax rate rises to 9.25 percent on April 1

The sales and use tax rate inside Lafayette goes from 8.75 percent to 9.25 percent on Tuesday, April 1. The increase is half a cent on the dollar, and it applies to taxable sales made within the city limits.

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration lists the new levy as the City of Lafayette General Transactions and Use Tax, 0.50 percent, effective April 1, 2025. "General" is the state's category for a tax that is not tied to a named purpose. In its explanation of the April 1 changes, the agency records the Lafayette entry plainly: the city approved a new 0.500 percent tax, and a new reporting code was required, moving Lafayette from code 816 to code B23.

The agency's notice covering all of the April 1 rate changes says the district taxes on the list were approved by California voters in the November 2024 election. In Lafayette that measure is known as Measure H.

On a $100 taxable purchase in Lafayette, the tax goes from $8.75 to $9.25.

The boundary is the part that catches people out. The half-cent applies only within Lafayette. Before the change, the city charged 8.75 percent, the same as the countywide Contra Costa rate, so a shopper crossing into unincorporated county land nearby now pays half a cent less.

Businesses in Lafayette had to begin collecting the additional half-cent on taxable items on April 1. The state agency issues rate-change notices to registered sellers and keeps an address lookup on its sales and use tax rate pages, which is the reliable way to confirm which rate applies to a specific location. The city has compiled its own material for businesses at lovelafayette.org/MeasureH, including a map showing which addresses fall inside the city limits.

Anyone with questions about collecting or reporting the tax can reach the state agency's customer service center at 1-800-400-7115.