Aligning U.S., State Taxes

It is a foregone conclusion that the tax bill now nearing final passage by Congress will wipe out deductions for state sales taxes and non-mortgage-related consumer interest payments. Once the bill has been signed by the President, it behooves the Legislature to revise California’s tax code.

A good place to start, I believe, would be to eliminate or sharply reduce the sales tax and to replace the lost revenue through a modest increase in the more progressive--and federally deductible--state income tax.

A lower state sales tax should benefit auto sales and other “big ticket” items while making the federal tax bite even more palatable for middle-class Californians.

HAROLD N. BASS

Northridge