The combined sales tax rate for the 91506 zip code in Burbank, California is 10.50 percent. The rate took effect on April 1, 2025, when Los Angeles County’s new Measure A homeless-services tax replaced the smaller Measure H and pushed the total up from 10.25 percent. A $100 taxable purchase in Burbank now rings up at $110.50.
Where the 10.50 Percent Comes From
Burbank’s rate is three layers stacked together.
The bottom layer is California’s statewide base of 7.25 percent, which every city and county in the state starts from.1California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rate Information That 7.25 percent itself combines a state general-fund rate under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 6051 with smaller fractions directed to local public safety, health and social services, and county transportation.2California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Detailed Description of the Sales and Use Tax Rate
On top of that, Los Angeles County voters have approved district taxes totaling 2.50 percent. Measure R adds 0.50 percent for rail, highway, and bus improvements; Measure M adds another 0.50 percent for long-range transit projects; and Measure A, effective April 1, 2025, adds 0.50 percent for homeless services and prevention. Measure A replaced Measure H, a 0.25 percent tax that had been scheduled to expire in 2027.3Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. Measure A The remainder of the county district total goes to other local transit and public safety needs.
The top layer is Burbank’s own Measure P, a 0.75 percent general-purpose tax voters approved in 2018. Revenue funds fire and police staffing, street repairs, earthquake retrofitting of city buildings, and parks and recreation.4California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates
7.25 + 2.50 + 0.75 = 10.50 percent.
What Gets Taxed in 91506
California sales tax applies to retail sales of tangible personal property, meaning anything that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched.5California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Revenue and Taxation Code 6016 – Tangible Personal Property Electronics, furniture, clothing, household goods, building materials, and most other physical items you buy in a Burbank store or have shipped to a 91506 address fall under the 10.50 percent rate.
Pure services generally do not. A lawyer’s bill, an accountant’s invoice, or a haircut carries no sales tax. Repair and installation labor is also generally untaxed as long as the charge is itemized separately on the invoice.6California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Common Sales and Use Tax Nontaxable Sales and Partial Exemptions
Groceries
Food products for human consumption are exempt under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 6359. Produce, meat, dairy, bread, cereal, eggs, canned goods, frozen meals, and bottled water you take home to prepare are not taxed.7California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 6359 – Food Products for Human Consumption The exemption falls away once food is sold ready to eat: hot deli food, restaurant meals, vending machine snacks, and anything sold inside a venue with an admission charge are all taxable.
Prescription Medicines
Prescription medications dispensed by a pharmacist or furnished by a licensed physician are exempt.8California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 6369 – Prescription Medicines Over-the-counter drugs you pull off the shelf are fully taxable. Prosthetic devices meant to be worn on or in the body to replace or assist a natural body part are also exempt when sold under a prescription or furnished by a licensed provider.9California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Regulation 1591 – Medicines and Medical Devices
Vehicles and Online Orders Still Owe the 91506 Rate
Buying a car is often the biggest taxable purchase a Burbank resident makes, and the rate is tied to where you live, not where the dealership sits. California bases vehicle use tax on the registered owner’s city and county of residence.10California Department of Motor Vehicles. Registering a Vehicle Purchased from a Dealer If your address is in 91506 and you buy from a dealer in a lower-tax city, you still owe 10.50 percent, and the DMV collects it at registration.
Online orders work much the same way. Marketplace facilitators such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are treated as the retailer for California tax purposes and must collect the correct rate at checkout on third-party sales shipped into the state.11California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Sales and Use Tax Law – Chapter 1.7 If you order from a smaller out-of-state seller that doesn’t collect California tax, you owe the equivalent use tax yourself at the same 10.50 percent. Most individuals report and pay use tax on their California income tax return. If your untaxed purchases (excluding vehicles, vessels, and aircraft) top $10,000 in a calendar year, you have to register with the CDTFA as a qualified purchaser and file a separate annual return by April 15.12California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Use Tax
Confirming the Current Rate Before a Big Purchase
California sales tax rates can change on January 1 or April 1 of any year, whenever a new voter-approved measure takes effect or an existing one expires. Before budgeting for a large purchase in Burbank, check the CDTFA’s address-based lookup tool at maps.cdtfa.ca.gov, which returns the exact combined rate for any specific street address.13California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Find a Sales and Use Tax Rate For questions, the CDTFA Customer Service Center is 1-800-400-7115.