California

California's top corporate income tax rate is 8.84%, applied as a flat rate. This places California in the "High (8% or higher)" tier among U.S. states.

Flat 8.84% on net income for C-corporations. Financial corporations pay 10.84%. S-corporations pay 1.5% (3.5% for financial S-corps).

California imposes an $800 annual minimum franchise tax on all LLCs, corporations, and limited partnerships doing business in the state, even if the entity has no income or operates at a loss.

California recognizes federal S-corp election but still imposes a 1.5% entity-level tax on S-corp net income. Pass-through entities may also elect to pay 9.3% entity-level PTE tax on qualified net income.

For current corporate tax rules in California, consult the state's official source at https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/business/types/corporations/index.html. Rates and rules change annually — verify with a qualified tax professional before taking any action.