Wedding Blog
I think I’ve been living in a dream world, because I just realized that the Los Angeles County tax hike is occurring PRIOR to our wedding. As of April 1, 2009, our new tax rate will be a ginormous 9.25% instead of its previous rate of 8.25%.
Great. And the hits just keep on coming. I guess I should be happy we aren’t having our wedding in Pico Rivera (an area of Los Angeles county) where their tax increase will bring them to 10.25%. Jeez.
If you are living in L.A., or anywhere in California for that matter, and are wondering how you will be affected, check out this link: http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/l212b.pdf.
Have you hit any unexpected budget bumps along the planning road?
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Share this post: Oh Really?! This SUCKS.
Ahhh, the era of Hope and Change! In Chicago, we’re paying 10.75%. It’s a nightmare.
Well, up here in Ontario, it’s been 14 or 15% for my entire life. So… 9 doesn’t sound too bad to me!! I guess it’s all relative! 
Yeah, we have been suffering with this in Chicago too. It really tacks on additional expense, and this time its not the wedding industry’s fault!
I know this might be hard, but can you pay most of the wedding bills (florist, DJ, caterer, venue, etc) before April 1? If you pay them before the hike- or start paying them before, can they charge you the lower tax?
Holy crap that’s crazy! I agree with rosychicklet-check into that!
Wow I didn’t even think of that. I’ll have to pay attention to RI’s taxes because that can have a big effect on our wedding budget….yikes!
Wow Miss. Glitter thats awful!! We are having our reception in NJ instead of NY (where I am from and where the ceremony is) because the tax rate was lower. It really adds up!
Thanks for the heads up are honeymoon is on the west coast and I didnt even think of checking out the sales tax!! Goodness thats crazy compared to the 6% here in Connecticut
Ouch! We Bruschettas are driving down to Delaware to purchase our wedding rings — no tax is SO much better than Jersey’s seven percent!
Taxes are high in IL too. Luckily most of our bills will be from MI where the rate is still somewhere around 6.5%
oh yeah…the “temporary” tax hike that’s totally not temporary. i forgot about that. great, now i’ll have to go back and redo my budget numbers
Ick. 9.25% is not fun for LA County - I’ll have to go my big purchase shopping up in Ventura or in the OC 
Im getting married next weekend in downtown Chicago - they hiked the tax rate to 11.25 or 11.5%, up from over 10% when I signed my contract. The tax was high enough, and then the city decided to kick me while I was down.
OUCH! Thanks for the link Miss Glitter… I of course checked near my house first and then realized (again) I’m getting married in San Diego.
Oy. Thank goodness we are getting in just under the wire!
Sales taxes in all states are going to have to go up if we want to pull ourselves out of this recession. 10% sounds like a lot because we are used ot paying much less, but honestly lots of others countries pay much more (see Canada above). Better raise taxes then print money till the cows some home. Still it is a bummer.
Thanks for posting this. Our sales tax is up to 9.75% pre-wedding. i’m going to pass out when i have to pay sales tax on the reception, plus service fees!!
It’s only going to get worse. In Chicago, we have the HIGHEST tax rate in the country.
If you already have signed a contract with the price and tax calculated, they cannot charge you the higher tax, or they have to lower their prices to meet the quote they gave you. This is a time when that 1% extra is worth fighting for!!
LOL, I guess it’s all relative like jenny.j said! Here in BC, we’re paying 12% and that’s down from 14%! I’d be dancing in the streets for 9.25%! And really, it’s all really low compared to the UK’s VAT - 17% when I lived there (I think it’s gone/going down though?) However, in the UK, VAT is incorporated into the price, so you don’t notice it as much.
Chicago is 10.25%… and the burbs (where I’m getting married at least) aren’t much better at 9.75%!!
Yes, like the other Chicago girls have said, we have the highest sales tax rate in the country. A WHOPPING 10.25%.
Welcome to our world!
Wow, after hearing about Chicago and other international cities, I guess I am relieved (?) about L.A.’s rates. The toughtest issue with this is just that I planned our budget around the lower rate. Now I’ve gotta re-work everything. A 1% increase isn’t the end of the world, but it certainly changes things.
@MightySapphire: Thanks for the advice. I am going to talk to our vendors about this! Although I fear that our biggest vendor, the venue, bases things off of whatever the current tax rate is. Darn!!
YIKES! And I thought the proposed NYC .37 increase was bad. Sorry Glitter and the other CA brides. 
OMG Glitter i totally forgot about that! the tax hike is going to be huge for the reception. now i need to go back and re-budge
This is such a bummer….another hit to the old budget.
@Miss Glitter: I was just going to follow up with you- I just emailed all my vendors that charge sales tax. All of our contract’s clearly state 8.25%, so I want to find out if that will be honored. Also, if it won’t be, I am hoping we can just pay off the balances before the April 1 deadline. I’ll let you know what they say!
Sales tax doesn’t bother me….my mom, dad and my fiance’s mom and dad ALL lost their jobs since we got engaged….that’s what I call an “unexpected budget bump”
I know the feeling…I live in Chicago and last year our sales tax was increased to 10.25% - the highest in the nation. There is talk of raising it yet again. The increased a lot of other fees in the city as well….sucky! Fortunately my wedding is in my hometown in NY…8.25% sales tax!
@Miss Peep Toe: Thanks, Peep! Let me know what they say. Fingers crossed that you have locked in 8.25% for most vendors.
Just let let everyone know, it goes up again to 9.5% in LA County on July 1st.
Miss Glitter & Miss Peep Toe - unfortunately even though you have it on your contract that its 8.25% sales tax, it is a state mandated tax increase that superceeds the contract. Its not a choice to raise it. If the vendors dont raise the tax, it comes out their own pocket.
I work at a venue dealing with this now (and am getting married so I have to deal with the tax increase too) and unfortunately we have to charge the 9.25%. Im sure if it were paid before April 1st in full it would be the 8.25%, but anything after that goes into effect with the new rate.
Something to think about, depending on your budget though it still is extra money, it might only be a $300-$600 change depending on what your budget is.
Reading this makes me love Oregon that much more - No sales tax!!
Income taxes though…
So many brides are being affected by the California economy it is scary! A wedding is expensive enough without the added sales tax.
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Mrs. Glitter, Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 27, Research Consultant/Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Accounting
Engagement Date: May 6, 2007
Wedding Date: June, 2009
Venue: Millenium Biltmore Hotel
About Me: I was born and raised in West Los Angeles, California. I spent eight years in the Northeast working and completing my education. Having split time between two sides of the country has given me a true appreciation for both coasts. It has also provided an overabundance of cross country drives, flights and long distance relationship fun/misery! I love my family, my doggy Emma, fabulous wine, Anthropologie, politics, reading, being outdoors, exploring new cities, and good movies! My fiance and I are complete opposites, but somehow we have managed to fall completely and hopelessly in love.
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