Santa Barbara Utility Users Tax, Measure G, 2008
From Ballotpedia
The Santa Barbara Utility User Tax, Measure G proposition appeared on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Santa Barbara County, California for voters in the city of Santa Barbara.
Measure G was approved with 70.92% of the vote.
The measure reduces the utility tax rate from 6% to 5.75%, but applies it to more utilities, or as the measure puts it, "require equal treatment of taxpayers regardless of technology".
Taxpayer perspective
Many Californians will also have the chance to vote on telecommunications tax increase questions put on the ballot by their localities. In most instances, voters will be asked to approve a Utility Users Tax (UUTs). Even though many of these questions will be framed as a way to pass a “tax cut,” most are nothing of the sort.
In the case of UUTs, the existing tax is linked to a federal tax that is no longer collected with respect to most telecommunications services. Should voters approve a measure to “delink” their UUT from the federal tax – even if the rate appears to be slightly lower – they’ll effectively be cementing the imposition of an unnecessary and potentially illegal tax on their service. The array of taxable products is often being expanded to include services like texting, paging, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling/bridging, directory assistance, 800 service, 900 service, IPTV and IP video, voicemail, private communications services and instant messaging (even though federal law prohibits the taxation of instant messaging). [1]
