Tax Lawyers in Lakewood

The government of Lakewood, California collects taxes from its residents in order to pay for basic public services, like police and fire departments, libraries, hospitals, and public transit.

Taxes in Lakewood, California are derived from a wide variety of sources. Regardless of the source, however, the amount that's taken is never arbitrary, and is always determined by law. A tax can come either in the form of a flat fee, or as a percentage of one's income, the value of a piece of property, or a sale.

Everyone in Lakewood is required by law to pay the taxes they owe. If you fail to do this, you could end up facing jail time.

Sources of Tax Dollars in Lakewood, California

A wide variety of activities are subject to taxation in Lakewood, California, creating a massive range of revenue sources. For example, cities normally impose a sales tax, charge fees for certain licenses, and collect tolls on roads and bridges.

Sales Tax: A sales tax in Lakewood is a surcharge added to the price of most goods that are sold by retailers to the general public. The government of also imposes a sales tax, which must be paid in addition to the local tax. Usually, local sales taxes are less than one percent, while state sales taxes are in the 5% range.

Licensing Fees: In Lakewood, licenses are required to engage in many different activities, or at least to do so legally. The most frequent of these are business licenses. While some professions require licenses because the state has an interest in ensuring competence in them (in law and medicine, for instance), many business licenses exist for the primary purpose of compiling revenue, and therefore serve the same purpose as taxes.

Bridge/Road Tolls: Most large cities in the U.S. charge fees, or tolls, on automobiles entering the city via public bridges and highways. This money is, more or less, a tax on everyone who drives into Lakewood via public infrastructure. This means that everyone who visits is required to make at least a small contribution to the government services they'll be using while there.

How Can a Lakewood, California Tax Attorney Help?

In Lakewood, California, tax law can get pretty complicated. Taxes are levied on a huge range of products and activities, and they are often calculated in difficult ways. Furthermore, many groups and individuals are subject to special tax breaks and exemptions, which might or might not apply to you.

Accordingly, it's very important that you seek the advice of a reliable Lakewood, California tax attorney if you have any type of issue involving local taxes.