Comedian Bill Maher recently expressed strong criticism of California's tax system, stating on his "Club Random" podcast that the state's tax rates are higher than those historically charged by drug dealers. Maher likened the state's tax burden on businesses to his past experiences with illicit marijuana sales, suggesting the government takes a larger cut.
"It's almost impossible to make a business work in California like that," Maher said on the podcast episode. "I mean, just the state takes like 40% taxes. F---, you know, when I bought drugs from a skeezy dealer, he didn't skim 40%."
Maher further elaborated on his comparison, joking that even when he was involved in selling marijuana, he did not take as large a percentage as California does through its tax policies. He noted that if he bought a pound of marijuana, which is 16 ounces, he would not create 17 ounces from it, implying the dealer's cut was less than the state's tax rate.
While Maher's 40% figure appears to be an informal remark, California does impose one of the nation's highest corporate tax rates at 8.84% for many businesses. This rate does not include the federal corporate tax rate of 21% for C corporations, nor does it account for payroll taxes and other business-related fees.
Maher has previously voiced concerns about high taxation. In an earlier segment on his show, he stated that after accounting for state, local, sales, property, and Obamacare taxes, he paid nearly 60% of his earnings to the government. He has also criticized figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regarding discussions about taxing the wealthy, arguing that affluent individuals already contribute a significant portion of taxes.