Newsom Mocked After Claiming California Taxes Are Lower Than Texas And Florida
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing widespread criticism after claiming that Texas and Florida are actually the “real high-tax states,” a statement that quickly drew pushback from economists and Republican leaders.
Newsom made the remarks Sunday while speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, where he also hinted at a possible presidential run.
During the event, Newsom argued that Texas places a heavier tax burden on working-class residents than California does.
“Texas taxes poor folks more than we tax our richest,” Newsom said.
He also singled out Florida, claiming the Sunshine State operates under a similarly unfair system.
“Florida is the other regressive tax state,” Newsom said. “Your middle class pays more taxes in Texas than our middle class in California.”
Fox News refuses to report the truth:
Texas and Florida are the REAL high-tax states. pic.twitter.com/1PtCN5Uvj8
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 16, 2026
The claim immediately drew criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who blasted the statement on social media.
“There are lies, damned lies and statistics. Then there is whatever you’d call the claim that California has lower taxes than Florida,” DeSantis wrote.
He pointed to California’s overall tax structure, which includes some of the highest sales, income, and gas taxes in the nation.
Tax experts also challenged Newsom’s assertion.
Jared Walczak, a fellow at the Washington-based Tax Foundation, said the argument does not hold up when looking at total tax burden.
“States like Florida and Texas have much lower tax burdens overall,” Walczak said.
He added that migration patterns suggest Americans overwhelmingly prefer lower-tax states.
“It flies in the face of people’s revealed preferences,” Walczak said. “Migration rates tell the story.”
Newsom’s argument appears to rely on a study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that examined tax inequality.
The study concluded that lower-income households in Florida and Texas pay a slightly higher share of their income in state and local taxes compared to lower-income households in California.
However, critics argue that the study ignores the broader tax burden and the high cost of living in California.
California relies heavily on progressive income taxes that place larger burdens on higher earners.
But residents also face steep housing costs, high gas prices, and significant sales taxes.
The Tax Foundation ranked California 48th in overall tax competitiveness in 2026.
Meanwhile, Florida and Texas ranked far higher on the same index.
Another analysis by WalletHub placed California fourth in the nation for overall tax burden.
Texas ranked 40th and Florida ranked 45th in that study.
Tax policy advocates in California say additional local taxes also increase the burden on residents.
David Kline of CalTax noted that parcel taxes, bonds, and high local sales taxes can significantly raise the cost of living.
In parts of Los Angeles County, sales taxes can reach as high as 11.2 percent.
“If you ask any Californian who travels to another state what they paid in taxes, I think you will have agreement that California’s are higher,” Kline said.
Newsom’s comments also fueled speculation about his political future.
While speaking at SXSW, the governor suggested he may run for president in 2028 if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.
Newsom and DeSantis have frequently clashed over policy differences between Republican-led and Democrat-led states.
The two governors famously debated each other in a televised event in 2023, arguing over issues such as taxes, immigration, and crime.