The sales tax rate in the 90301 ZIP code is 10.25%, covering most of Inglewood, California, within Los Angeles County.1California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates That rate has been in effect since April 2025 and applies to nearly every retail purchase of physical goods inside the city limits, from a pair of shoes to a new refrigerator.
Rates can shift when voters approve new measures or let existing ones expire, so before a large purchase it’s worth confirming the current figure on the CDTFA rate lookup. Changes typically happen once or twice a year at most and are announced in advance.
How the 10.25% Breaks Down
The rate has two layers: California’s statewide base and a stack of voter-approved county and city district taxes.
The 7.25% Statewide Base
Every taxable sale in California starts at 7.25%. That floor is not a single tax but a combination assembled from six code sections and a constitutional provision, each funding a different state or local purpose. The largest piece, 3.6875%, comes from Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 6051 and 6201. The remaining slices fund local public safety, health and social services, and a county revenue fund.2California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Detailed Description of the Sales and Use Tax Rate No matter where you shop in California, you will never pay less than 7.25%.
The 3.00% in Local District Taxes
The remaining 3.00% in Inglewood comes from Los Angeles County and city measures approved by voters:
- Propositions A and C, two longstanding LA County transportation taxes, each adding 0.50%.
- Measure R and Measure M, Metro rail and transit expansion taxes, each adding 0.50%.
- Measure A, a countywide 0.50% tax that replaced the former 0.25% Measure H homeless services tax after voters approved the change in November 2024.3California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Explanation of Tax Rate Changes Operative April 1, 2025
- Inglewood’s 0.50% Transactions and Use Tax, which funds general municipal services.
The Measure A change is the reason some older rate charts and online calculators still show 10.00% for Inglewood. If you see that figure, the source is out of date.
What the Rate Applies To
California sales tax applies to tangible personal property, which the Revenue and Taxation Code defines as anything you can see, weigh, measure, feel, or touch.4California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Revenue and Taxation Code 6016 – Tangible Personal Property Electronics, clothing, furniture, appliances, and auto parts are all taxable. Digital goods such as downloaded music or e-books generally are not, because they lack a physical form.
Several common categories are exempt from the 10.25%:
- Most unprepared grocery food meant for home consumption, including produce, meat, dairy, bread, and cereal. Hot prepared food, food sold for on-premises consumption, and carbonated beverages stay taxable.5California Legislative Information. California Code Revenue and Taxation Code 6359
- Prescription medicine dispensed by a pharmacist, as well as medicines furnished by a doctor directly to a patient during treatment.
- Services. Paying someone to fix your plumbing, do your taxes, or cut your hair is not a taxable sale. The line gets harder when a service produces a physical item, such as a custom-printed banner; if what you’re really paying for is the physical object rather than the expertise, the transaction is taxable.6California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Sales and Use Tax Regulations – Article 1
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
When you buy something from an out-of-state retailer that doesn’t charge California sales tax, you owe use tax at the same 10.25% rate. If the purchase would have been taxed in a California store, it’s taxed when it’s shipped to your Inglewood address.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Use Tax Items that are exempt from sales tax, such as groceries and prescriptions, are also exempt from use tax.
Most large online retailers already collect California tax at checkout, so for day-to-day shopping you rarely need to do anything. If you buy from a smaller out-of-state vendor that doesn’t collect, you’re responsible for reporting it. Consumers can do that on their California income tax return using the Franchise Tax Board’s worksheet or lookup table. If your untaxed purchases exceed $10,000 in a calendar year, excluding vehicles and aircraft, the CDTFA treats you as a “qualified purchaser” and requires you to register and file a separate annual use tax return by April 15.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Use Tax
Occasionally an online order shows a tax rate other than 10.25%. That usually means the item was taxed at the rate for a different city, often because of where the warehouse or fulfillment address sits. If the charge looks wrong on a large order, it’s worth checking with the seller.
Calculating the Tax on a Purchase
Multiply the pre-tax price by 0.1025. On a $100 item, that’s $10.25 in tax, for a total of $110.25. On a $1,500 laptop, the tax alone is $153.75. For a rough estimate, 10% gets you close; the actual charge will be slightly higher. Verifying the math on big-ticket purchases like appliances or furniture takes a few seconds and occasionally catches a mistake.