SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) urged Californians to brace themselves for a new wave of tax hikes and higher costs driven by Democrat policies. These increases will hit workers, families, and small businesses hard in 2025:
1. Higher taxes for small businesses: All businesses, including small businesses, will be forced to pay an extra $21 per employee on their payroll taxes in 2025. Under the Newsom Administration, California lost $33 billion in unemployment fraud during the pandemic. To cover costs, the state borrowed $20 billion from the federal government. Instead of using the state’s $100 billion surplus to pay down the debt in 2022, Newsom and Democrat lawmakers squandered it on their political agenda, and willingly passed the burden onto small businesses in the form of a tax hike.
2. Gas prices to skyrocket 90 cents per gallon: The average Californian will need to make $1,000 more in 2025 just to breakeven with 2024 gas costs, according to a USC study. This massive increase is thanks to tax hikes and several new costly regulations pushed by the Newsom Administration that will start to take effect and impact the gasoline market in 2025.
3. Higher taxes on paychecks: California workers will have more money withheld from their paychecks starting in 2025, thanks to Democrat lawmakers’ Senate Bill 951 (2022). Earners with $100,000 in taxable annual wages will have $100 more total withheld from their pay. The tax hike will vary based on taxable wages.
“I am deeply concerned that Californians will face sticker shock and be unprepared for the increased taxes and costs coming in 2025, all courtesy of Gavin Newsom and Democrat lawmakers’ reckless policies over the past few years,” said Leader Jones. “Democrats must stop treating small businesses and hardworking families like ATMs to fund their partisan agendas and cover their fiscal mismanagement.
“In 2025, I challenge my Democrat colleagues to change course and deliver good news to Californians by cutting taxes instead of raising them. Republican lawmakers will keep pushing for real solutions that don’t drain the wallets of those who can least afford it,” concluded Leader Jones.
Senator Brian W. Jones represents the 40th Senate District which includes the Cities of Escondido, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, San Diego City communities of Carmel Mountain Ranch, Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley, and University City, along with the San Diego County unincorporated communities of 4S Ranch, Alpine, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Pine Valley, Rainbow, Ramona, and Valley Center.
