2026 California sales tax update: changes across 7 cities, Santa Clara County, and Delano

We previously published a detailed update on the Santa Clara County sales tax increase taking effect on April 1, 2026. That change is part of a broader set of updates across California, with multiple cities and districts adjusting their rates at the same time. Below are the key changes taking effect on April 1, 2026 and what sellers need to know.

Key takeaways

• Seven cities and Santa Clara County are increasing their sales tax rates on April 1, 2026 — sellers delivering to these addresses must collect the new combined rate from that date
• San Jose, Milpitas, and Campbell are among the affected cities, making this a significant update for sellers with high volumes of Northern California orders
• The City of Delano’s existing 8.25% district tax has been extended with no expiration date — no rate change, but sellers should note it remains in effect

What changed

District tax rate increases — effective April 1, 2026

County rate increase — effective April 1, 2026

District tax extended — effective April 1, 2026

Who this affects

• Ecommerce sellers shipping to Santa Clara County addresses — this is the highest-impact change this quarter. The county-wide rate increases, and four cities within the county — San Jose, Milpitas, Campbell, and Los Gatos — all have simultaneous rate changes. San Jose alone is a high-volume destination for Northern California orders
• Sellers shipping to Los Angeles County — Santa Fe Springs reaches 11.00%, one of the highest combined rates in the state. If you have any volume delivering to this city, verify your rate logic
• Remote sellers using address-based rate calculation — California taxes are destination-based and applied at the city and district level. ZIP code alone is not sufficient for accuracy in California; address-level verification is essential
• Ecommerce sellers shipping to Kern County — both McFarland and Delano have updates this quarter; confirm your rates for both cities

Next steps for sellers

• Verify that your sales tax engine is applying the correct April 1, 2026 rates for all affected California jurisdictions
• For Santa Clara County orders, confirm whether the delivery address falls within one of the four cities with individual rate changes or within the unincorporated county area — the applicable rate differs
• Use the CDTFA’s address-based rate lookup tool at cdtfa.ca.gov to verify the exact combined rate for specific delivery addresses if you have any uncertainty
• For Delano, note that the 8.25% rate is now permanent — no future expiration to track

If you use TaxCloud: TaxCloud’s sales tax engine automatically updates California city and district rates each quarter — including all April 1, 2026 changes — so your calculations reflect the correct rate at the address level without manual intervention.