Families can miss out on thousands of dollars by not filing by April 18

CALIFORNIA – United Ways of California is urging Californians to file before the April 18 tax filing deadline. According to the most recent data from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is down 5% among Californians this tax season compared to this day last year, and while nearly 4 million California residents claimed the tax credit last year, less than 35% of those eligible have filed for the credit this year. Thousands of dollars in tax credits are available to California residents – and all they have to do is file their taxes to receive them. There are numerous no-cost tax filing options available and Californians are encouraged to visit MyFreeTaxes.org to utilize United Ways’ free tax filing program and tax education resources, provided in both English and Spanish.

Advocates are concerned at the low filing numbers this close to Tax Day, as 64% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. However, it’s not too late for working families in California to get additional tax credits from the state – California is offering two tax credit programs to help families stay afloat:

• The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) ranges from $255 to over $3,000 and is available to families with incomes up to $30,000.
• If you qualify for the CalEITC AND have a child under the age of 6, families can file for the Young Child Tax Credit(YCTC), which provides up to an additional $1,000 per child.

United Ways of California urges families to stay away from pay-to-file companies to file for these tax credits, which can save filers 13-20% of their tax refund, an average of $400. According to an audit by the Treasury General for Tax Administration, more than 14 million taxpayers in 2019 may have paid tax software providers when they could have filed for free.

“United Ways throughout California are providing IRS-certified volunteers at no cost to these hardworking families, helping them navigate these tax credit programs and get their tax returns submitted early,” said Pete Manzo, United Ways of California president and CEO. “The money can add up to quite a lot. In fact, some families can receive thousands of dollars – depending on their income and family size. With quick, safe, no-cost tax filing programs like MyFreeTaxes.org, all eligible Californians should claim these life-changing tax credits.”

Federal tax credits are also still available to families – even if households made $0 – like the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides up to $3,600 per child under the age of 18 as of December 31, 2021, and EITC, which adds up to $6,728 if the filer made less than $57,414.

As of March 2022, the IRS had a backlog of 7.2 million unprocessed individual returns for 2021, a far higher number than the typical one million. Families should expect to experience delays when filing their taxes this year, so it’s important to file as early as possible. The agency also added new regulations around claiming EITC or CTC to prevent identity fraud, so filers should be prepared for an additional delay if filing for these programs.

“Utilizing [free tax prep assistance] is essential to someone in need, you never know what someone has to go through in their lives financially,” said Crystal Vargas, a Kern County resident who filed through United Ways’ services. “I always come here knowing I’ll be taken care of—people don’t need to feel the financial burden of paying someone for their taxes and not knowing what exactly the process is. I plan to spend some of my refund on paying back my student loans and catching up on bills, and the rest to savings for emergencies.”

Nearly one in three California households—over 3.5 million families (33%)—do not earn sufficient income to meet basic needs, making it more important than ever to file by the April 18 deadline – the smallest delay in receiving tax returns could provide challenges to families who need to cover daily expenses and meet basic needs. For more information, free assistance, and to see if you qualify for no-cost tax filing, filers should visit MyFreeTaxes.org or text “taxes” to 211-211 to find a free tax filing site near them.

United Ways of California improves the health, education and financial results for low-income children and families by enhancing and coordinating the advocacy and community impact work of local United Ways across California. United Ways of California was formed in 2008 by California’s local United Ways seeking to work together to educate state and national leaders about policy issues affecting community impact goals in health, education, and financial stability.

 

Zoom webinar Feb. 17 at 4:00 p.m. to learn about first year allocations

By Gail Murray

Measure X, a new county-wide sales tax to support health and human services for our local neighbors and families, was passed by voters in November 2020. The tax money is being collected and decisions are being made on how to allocate the money in support of the values we hold as residents of Contra Costa.

The Measure X Advisory Committee was established by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors to help prioritize spending of Measure X dollars to support health and human services in our county. The Committee has met over many weeks, days and hours, and has produced its report. The people of Contra Costa County have unmet human service needs, and they are growing fast, as documented by the Measure X Advisory Committee. The Board has weighed these growing needs with the limited dollars available to allocate this first year.

Join us Thursday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. for a Zoom webinar to hear about the first year of allocations. What was recommended by the Advisory Committee, what was funded, and what are the gaps still remaining? Do these allocations support our values? What can we learn from this first year of sales tax allocations?  What does this mean for the future?

This expert panel will be moderated by Shanelle Scales-Preston, Vice Mayor and Pittsburg City Council member. Panelists are Mariana Moore, Chair of the Measure X Citizens Advisory Board; Dan Geiger from Budget Justice Coalition; and Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, Chair of the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, representing District 4. 

Questions from the public will be taken in advance at Program@LWVDV.org. During the webinar, questions may be submitted thru Zoom Q&A function. 

Click here to register for the webinar. Information on how to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to your email address 24 hours before the program.

The program is a partnership among the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley and of West Contra Costa County, along with the Contra Costa County Library. The Library will provide closed captioning for this event. 

The program will be recorded and posted on the following sites after the meeting:

LWVDV YouTube channel

Contra Costa County Library YouTube channel

 

From $60 to $500 for single residents and $120 to $1,000 for single parents and couples in eligible households. Focused on poorest. Last changed in 1979.

SACRAMENTO – Low-income California renters who have been drowning in unaffordable housing costs would see much-needed relief under a bill unveiled Wednesday by State Senator Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) and co-authors representing more than one-third of the Legislature.

The legislation, SB 843, would increase the California renter’s tax credit for the first time in more than 40 years and would represent significant help to renters across California. Eligible households would receive $500 for single residents and $1,000 for single parents and couples. Currently, eligible renters have their tax liabilities offset by only $60 for single filers or $120 for joint filers.

The bill would make the tax credit more valuable to the poorest Californians by making single parents eligible for the same credit as couples and allowing people to receive the full credit even if the amount exceeds their tax liability.

“We’ve treated renters like the doormat outside California’s economic recovery house,” Glazer said. “We cannot make an economic comeback without renters having their rightful place inside. Renters have waited 42 years for a modest level of fairness in our tax code. We can’t make them wait any longer.

“An increase in the renters’ tax credit will mean that people don’t have to choose between putting food on the table, taking their kids to the doctor, and making the rent.”

Those eligible for the new renter’s credit would be single filers making $43,533 or less and joint filers making $87,066 or less. Nearly 2.4 million renters would be eligible for the tax credit, according to 2019 Franchise Tax Board estimates.

California has not increased the renter’s credit since 1979. The proposed increase accounts for inflation since then. SB 843 provides direct help to renters – those who typically struggle the most to find affordable housing, and who have been hit hard during COVID-19.

Glazer’s previous attempt to increase the credit – SB 248 – was described by CalMatters as the “most bipartisan bill of the year.”  That bill had 30 co-authors. SB 843 already has 43 — and counting — from across the state and all parts of the ideological spectrum.

Assemblyman Steven Choi, R-Irvine, a principal co-author, said: “Nearly half of the state’s residents are renters, but we simply have not done enough to help them with our state tax policies. This legislation can serve as one tool to make renting more affordable. It would be a real boost to working families who are struggling to make ends meet with the high cost of living in California.”

Too many renters have struggled for too long, said Senator Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger.

“California renters have struggled to meet rent prior to the pandemic, and have faced rents that in some areas have tripled,” said Senator Hurtado. “Even with steps we have previously taken, many renters face homelessness. This tax relief credit will provide much needed relief for renters, and I am happy to support it.”

Senator Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, said there couldn’t be a better time than now to help renters.

“We need to help California renters, many of whom are struggling, with permanent financial relief,” said Senator Susan Rubio. “I want to thank Senator Glazer for introducing this bill, and I’m happy to be a co-author. Increasing the renters tax credit, while we have a healthy budget surplus, will put money where it’s needed the most and help families now and in the future.”

Republican Leader Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, said so many historic moments have come and gone without much help for renters. Until now.

“A lot has changed since 1979: my LA Clippers relocated to Los Angeles, the internet was ‘born,’ the Berlin wall fell, and a NASA spacecraft flew past Pluto,” Wilk said. “One thing that hasn’t changed? California’s $60 renter’s tax credit. Offering low-income renters such little assistance is inexcusable and reflects a bygone era. I am excited we are taking serious steps to put this behind us, too.”

Senator David Cortese, D-San Jose, said: “I’d like to thank Senator Glazer for his leadership as well as my colleagues for introducing this bill that will significantly expand our state’s renters tax credit and provide much needed relief to not only millions of low-income renters, but also our ‘missing middle’-income population that is often overlooked. And by doing so, this bill will provide stability to our families and prevent the displacement of valuable members of our communities – including our teachers, nurses, nonprofit employees as well other essential workers who are being forced to leave the state due to high cost of living and skyrocketing rents.”

 

Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, a co-author, said, “Renters have been disproportionately affected by the economic consequences of COVID-19. Until the pandemic is fully behind us and jobs can return to full capacity, some renters may continue to face a risk of homelessness or housing instability. Updating the renters tax credit is a way of providing critical direct relief to some of California’s most vulnerable.” 

Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach, said: “After a difficult two years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it is my priority to find and work toward solutions that lower the cost of living. This tax credit will help many families in our community not have to choose between paying for rent and providing food for their family. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to get this bill passed through the Legislature and onto the Governor’s desk.”

Jiseon Kim, a University of California Los Angeles senior majoring in history and public affairs and Head of Advocacy at Swipe Out Hunger at UCLA, said that students are among the many Californians facing high housing costs today, “one of many obstacles they face in being able to earn their degrees. This bill would help address our cost of living issues and will contribute to all students’ overall educational success.”

Senator Brian Jones, R-Santee, said the bill recognizes the needs of working families.

“The State’s $45 billion budget surplus was built on the backs of hardworking Californians, including renters, who now deserve a break,” Jones said.

The Renter’s Tax Credit is a common-sense idea that offers urgently needed relief to California’s millions of families burdened with high rent, said David Knight, Executive Director of the California Community Action Partnership (CalCAPA). While California homeowners receive $5.8 billion in tax relief through mortgage deductions, renters’ relief has been barely a blip on the radar, Knight noted. The cost of the new renter’s credit would be around $1.2 billion, according to 2019 Franchise Tax Board estimates.

“It’s a matter of fairness,” Knight said. “California’s housing policies have favored homeowners for decades by offering them a tax credit for the interest on their mortgages. But, renters haven’t been granted similar benefits. CalCAPA is proud to support this important bill, which makes our housing policy more fair and equitable.”

Senator David Min, D-Irvine, said: “Housing remains a top issue for Californians in every corner of our state. From the rising cost of living to the COVID-19 crisis, California renters have faced no shortage of challenges in recent years. I’m honored to be a coauthor of SB 843, which will help thousands by making crucial and long overdue updates to the California Renters Tax Credit.”

The renter’s credit was established in 1972. Since its only increase in 1979, rents in California have more than quintupled while the renters credit remained flat. Median state rent exceeds $1,500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment, and rentals in cities like San Francisco average more than $2,700 a month.

Senator Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, said: “Expanding eligibility for the renters tax credit is incredibly important. Especially now, as Californians continue to struggle with the pandemic, it is important we do everything we can to make California more affordable for all Californians. I am proud to be a coauthor of Senate Bill 843, and thank Senator Glazer for his leadership on this issue.”

Assemblywoman Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel), a co-author, said, “California is facing a housing crisis unlike anything we have ever seen before. In addition to a lack of housing, we also have one of the nation’s highest costs of living. The existing renters tax credit has not been raised since 1979 and due to inflation plus a stagnant economy, Californians are hurting now more than ever. Modernizing and updating this credit to keep up with 21st century living standards is the right thing to do to provide relief to low-and-middle income renters.”

Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, D-Stockton, said: “The ever-rising cost of housing in California has led us to a worrying poverty rate that is unsustainable for our families today and for future generations,” said Assemblymember Villapudua. “Too many of us now spend well over 30 percent of our income on rent which forces struggling families into making difficult decisions and cutting priorities. An increase in this tax credit for renters across California would provide essential relief for these individuals as they work to meet these rising costs to keep a roof over their heads.”

 

Second of three voter-approved increases, this one to $7; funds held in escrow pending State Supreme Court decision

By Bay Area Toll Authority

With the new year, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) reminds drivers that tolls at the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges increased by $1 on Jan. 1, 2022. This is the second of the three $1 toll increases approved by the Legislature in 2017 through state Senate Bill 595 and by voters through Regional Measure 3 in June 2018. The first of these toll hikes went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The last of the Regional Measure 3 toll increases will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Regular tolls for two-axle cars and trucks (as well as for motorcycles) at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges rose to $7 from the current $6 on Jan. 1, 2022.

Tolls for vehicles with three or more axles also rose by $1 on Jan. 1, 2022, at all seven of the state-owned toll bridges: to $17 for three axles, $22 for four-axles, $27 for five axles, $32 for six axles, and $37 for combinations with seven or more axles.

Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 continue the peak-period toll discount for motorcycles, carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles crossing any of the state-owned toll bridges on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The discounted toll increased to $3.50 on Jan. 1, 2022, from the previous $3. To qualify for this discount, carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of qualifying clean-air vehicles must use FasTrak^® to pay their tolls electronically and must use a designated carpool lane at each toll plaza.

Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 also established a 50-cent toll discount for two-axle vehicles crossing more than one of the state-owned toll bridges during weekday commute hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. To be eligible for the toll discount, which is to be applied to the second toll crossing of the day, motorists must pay their tolls electronically with FasTrak^®. Carpools, motorcycles and qualifying clean-air vehicles making a second peak-period toll crossing in a single day will qualify for an additional 25-cent discount off the already-discounted carpool toll.

Funding for Transportation Projects

The funds collected from the additional toll will fund a $4.45 billion list of transportation improvement projects throughout the nine-county Bay Area, which includes $470 million in Contra Costa County.

New FasTrak^® customers can obtain toll tags at hundreds of Walgreens and Costco stores around the Bay Area. A complete list of participating locations — as well as an online enrollment and registration feature — is available on the FasTrak^® Web site at bayareafastrak.org. Customers also may enroll in the FasTrak^® program by phone at 1-877-229-8655; by calling 511 and asking for “FasTrak” at the first prompt; or in person at the FasTrak^® customer service center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco. Phone service is available Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The walk-in customer service center is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. FasTrak^® can be used in all lanes at all Bay Area toll plazas.

Because a legal challenge to Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 remains pending before the California Supreme Court, the January 1, 2022 toll increase, as collected, is placed into an escrow account managed by an independent trustee. Revenue from the 2019 toll increase also is being held in escrow. If BATA prevails in the litigation, the funds will be applied to BATA-approved programs.

Major projects in the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan include improvements to State Route 37 in the North Bay, freeway interchange improvements in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties, the purchase of more new BART cars, extension of the BART system from Berryessa to downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, extension of the Caltrain corridor to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, expansion of Muni’s transit vehicle fleet, expansion of San Francisco Bay Ferry service and more frequent transbay bus service, a direct freeway connector from northbound U.S. 101 in Marin County to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, upgrades to the Dumbarton Bridge corridor, and extension of the SMART rail system to Windsor and Healdsburg in Sonoma County.

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak^® customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

I didn’t know that! Receipt from new Pittsburg Chick-fil-A raises questions – here are the answers

By Allen Payton

A post by someone, on Facebook, of their sales receipt from the new Chick-fil-A restaurant in Pittsburg, shows a breakdown of the sales tax they were charged. That started a discussion of what each of the line items is for.

I had never seen the sales tax broken down that way, previously, and I used to be a partner in a restaurant which collected sales tax and dealt some with it. I also served on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for four years, but never knew the county received an additional .25% and the cities 1% in sales tax for transportation above the .5% for which we oversaw the expenditures. Nor have I seen the breakdown of the 6%, until now.

So, I set out on a quest to learn the details of the sales taxes we pay for many if not most of the purchases we make in Contra Costa County.

Once you read this, you too may say as I did, “I didn’t know that!”

County Finance Director Lisa Driscoll pointed out that on the Sales Tax page of the County’s website, each Quarterly Tax Report includes a breakdown of the sales tax, which answered most of my questions. She also mentioned the 1% “Bradley‑Burns” tax which is received by the cities for transportation.

On the State Auditor’s website, about The Bradley‑Burns Tax and Local Transportation Funds, it reads, “The tax charges 1.25 percent on the retail sale or use of tangible personal property in the State, of which 1 percent is allocated to counties or incorporated cities to use at their discretion and the other 0.25 percent is allocated to county LTFs.”

In Contra Costa County we also pay the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for BART operations, another half-cent sales tax from Measure J, passed in 2004, for transportation projects which is overseen by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, a half-cent approved by the voters with the passage of Prop. 147 in 2019 for public safety, and another half-cent from Measure X, passed last year, which is allocated by the Board of Supervisors. (See related article)

Driscoll also shared, “The County does not actually collect any sales tax and the rate varies by location. Retailers engaged in business in California must register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and pay the state’s sales tax, which applies to all retail sales of goods and merchandise except those sales specifically exempted by law. The unincorporated rate is listed below.”

Each city’s sales tax rate can be different because they might also have a local sales tax the voters passed, such as in Antioch where they passed two half-cent sales tax increases, mainly to pay for more police, and has a rate of 9.75%. The highest sales tax rate can be a whopping 10.25% and the only city in Contra Costa County to have the maximum is El Cerrito! To see the sales tax rate in your city or community, click here.

As someone who advocates shopping local instead of online, to help support our local retailers and keep our sales tax revenue, you’d think I would know this stuff. But alas, no. So, this has been enlightening for me.

Plus, people, including me, tend to forget about the voter-approved taxes, including 2% of the sales tax in our county, and it’s good for us to be informed or reminded of why we’re paying them and who imposed the various taxes on “we the people”. Just like with the $9.5 billion for the California high-speed rail, about which I’m constantly having to remind people who complain about the state spending their tax dollars on it, that the voters approved that amount in bonds for the project. The same with the law making it only a misdemeanor for shoplifting less than $950 in goods due to Prop. 47. People, we did it to ourselves! LOL

As for the breakdown in the state sales tax and the 1% Bradley-Burns sales tax, say it with me, “I didn’t know that!” Well, now we do.

 

Requires super majority to approve; Gioia, Glover vote no

Do approve body worn cameras for sheriff deputies.

By Daniel Borsuk

Going against the spirit of the 2020 voter-approved the early education-medical services-social needs message of the Measure X sales tax measure, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday narrowly rejected a proposal to spend a chunk of the initial $212. 5 million in one-time Measure X funds for Sheriff David Livingston’s department to hire additional deputies to beef up patrols especially in under-patrolled areas of the county.

Supervisors also learned the county would draw approximately $128.4 million in ongoing Measure X tax revenue a year for at least 2027.

On a 3 to 2 vote, with District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen, and board chair District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis casting votes calling for the expenditure of $6.4 million of Measure X funds for the hiring of patrol deputies designated for the under patrolled Bay Point, Saranap, and Rodeo areas, supervisors rejected a proposal to strengthen up patrols in those under-served areas of the county.

If approved, the proposal could have decreased response time by nearly 14 minutes and 21 seconds per call.

“Police and mental health services are my top priorities,” said District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville. “Body cameras and patrols are needed.”

However, due to supervisors’ rules, locally generated tax funds require a super majority vote of four or more supervisors. As a result, Andersen’s motion to increase patrols with Measure X funds failed.

Funds for the Sheriff’s Department are allowed in the measure that passed by over 58% of the vote last November. The ballot language read, “To keep Contra Costa’s regional hospital open and staffed; fund community health centers; provide timely fire and emergency response; support crucial safety-net services; invest in early childhood services; protect vulnerable populations; and for other essential county services, shall the Contra Costa County measure levying a ½ cent sales tax, exempting food sales, providing an estimated $81,000,000 annually for 20 years that the State cannot take, requiring fiscal accountability, with funds benefiting County residents, be adopted?” CCC_2021MeasureX_FullText

District 1 Supervisor John Gioia and District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover voted against the proposal to increase patrols. The 3-2 was insufficient for supervisors to designate Measure X for the hiring of additional deputies based on board of supervisors’ rules.

“I want funding for the sheriff to be part of the general fund budget discussion, not part of Measure X,” explained Supervisor Glover of Pittsburg. Gioia gave no clear reason why he voted against increasing deputy patrols, but earlier he had talked about bringing the item before the finance committee that he and District 4 Supervisor

“I support giving more money to the sheriff,” said board chair Diane Burgis of Brentwood. “We are under-funding protective services in the Eastern area of the county.”

Supervisors did approve on a 4 to 1 vote the expenditure of $2.5 million of Measure X revenues for body worn cameras for sheriff deputies. District 1 Supervisor Gioia cast the sole opposition vote, siding with more than 60 speakers opposed to the proposed allocation of any Measure X funds to the sheriff.

“Let’s keep the spirit of Measure X,” said Pittsburg resident Francisco Flores.  “Please don’t treat this money as pork for the use of the sheriff.”

Supervisors also voted 5-0 to transfer $6 million in Measure X funds designated for Contra Costa County Health Center capital improvement projects like a parking garage to county services that are financially neglected like the county library system and childcare.

All of the 60 speakers opposed spending any Measure X tax revenue for the sheriff.

Speakers said spending Measure X money for law enforcement purposes violated the spirit of the November 2020 voter approved tax revenue measure designed to ramp up revenue for underfunded public health and social service programs and services.

“Let’s keep the spirit of Measure X alive,” said Pittsburg resident Francisco Flores, a member of the community action group ACCE.

“You must follow the funding requests of the advisory board,” pleaded Measure X Advisory Board Chair Mariana Moore.

Proposed Expenditures

Some of the county programs or capital projects proposed for Measure X funds include:

$40 million parking garage for the Contra Costa Regional Medical and Health Center in Martinez.

$17.2 million for East Contra Costa County Fire District fire station construction projects.

$5 million to modernize the psychiatric ward at the Contra Costa Regional Medical and Health Center in Martinez.

$1.2 million for the Racial Equity and Social Justice office.

$250,000 for arts and culture programs

$740,000 for the San Ramon Fire Emergency Medical Service,

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

The Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office recognizes that COVID-19 restrictions may have severely impacted many businesses and commercial property owners and may have led to a reduction in property values.  In order to provide assessment relief to those who may have been impacted, the Assessor’s Office is legally required to have qualitative evidence to support a reduction in value.

Not all businesses and commercial properties have been affected, but if you believe the value of your business or commercial property has dropped below the current assessed value due to COVID-19, Assessor, Gus Kramer, urges you to please visit our website at the link below for guidance on what information and documentation to submit to our office for a FREE review of your assessed value.

For information and forms to request a 2021-2022 value review, please visit the link to the Assessor’s webpage “Review Your Value” at: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/6919/Review-Your-Value.