Self-employed in Anaheim, CA: taxes and retirement for 2026

What consultants, freelancers, content creators, entrepreneurs, gig workers, tipped workers and tradespeople in Anaheim, CA need to know this year: local taxes, California income and estimated tax rules, and how to save for retirement without an employer plan.

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Anaheim local rules

Local income tax: No city income tax in Anaheim.
Anaheim Business License Tax: Any individual, sole proprietor or other entity doing business in Anaheim must get a city business license and pay the business license tax, plus a non-refundable $37 minimum processing fee on every new or renewed license. Operating without a license or renewing late brings a penalty of 10% or $10 (whichever is greater) for each month delinquent, plus 1.5% of that amount per month from the first day of delinquency.
City business license: Yes. Every business run from a home in Anaheim needs both a city business license and a home occupation permit; the standard business license fee applies and the home occupation permit has no extra cost.
Also worth knowing: No city or county income tax. Businesses located outside Anaheim but doing business in the city also need an Anaheim license (https://www.anaheim.net/494/Business-License). The tax amount itself, which varies by business type and employee count, was not confirmed on an official page. No local gig-worker or freelancer pay ordinances were found; California's statewide rules (for example Prop 22 for app-based drivers) are covered at the state level. Population: Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for July 1, 2025 (https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv).

California rules that apply in Anaheim

State income tax (2026): California has a graduated state income tax for 2026: 1% to 13.3% (top rate starts at $1,000,000 for single filers). Rates run from 1% to 12.3%, plus a 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax (formerly the Mental Health Services Tax) on taxable income over $1,000,000, for a combined top rate of 13.3%. The 2026 540-ES worksheet tells filers to figure estimated tax using the 2025 tax table. In 2025, the 12.3% bracket started at $742,953 for single filers (ftb.ca.gov/forms/2025/2025-540-tax-rate-schedules.pdf).
State estimated tax: You generally must pay if you expect to owe at least $500 ($250 if married/RDP filing separately) for 2026 after withholding and credits, and your withholding plus credits will be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax. Use 110% if your 2025 California AGI was over $150,000, and if your 2026 AGI is $1,000,000 or more you must base payments on your 2026 tax. Uneven installments: 30% by April 15, 2026, 40% by June 15, 2026, 0% for September 15, 2026, and 30% by January 15, 2027. Form 540-ES.
California LLC annual tax and LLC fee: Every LLC doing business in or registered in California, including a single-member LLC, pays an $800 annual tax by the 15th day of the 4th month of its tax year. LLCs with total California income of $250,000 or more also pay an LLC fee, estimated and paid by the 15th day of the 6th month: $900 ($250,000 to $499,999), $2,500 ($500,000 to $999,999), $6,000 ($1M to $4,999,999), or $11,790 ($5M or more). The first-year exemption from the $800 tax covered only tax years beginning in 2021 through 2023.
Minimum wage (2026): $16.90 an hour; no tip credit, so tipped workers get the full minimum before tips. $16.90 per hour for all employers from January 1, 2026. Fast-food restaurant and health care facility employers have higher industry minimums, and many cities and counties set higher local rates. California does not allow a tip credit (U.S. DOL tipped-wage table). DIR has announced that the state minimum will rise to $17.40 on January 1, 2027 (dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2026/2026-66.html).
AB 5 ABC test (Labor Code 2775): A worker is presumed to be an employee unless the hiring entity proves all three parts: (A) the worker is free from its control and direction, (B) the work is outside its usual course of business, and (C) the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade of the same nature. Certain occupations and business-to-business arrangements use the older Borello test instead.
Proposition 22 (app-based rideshare and delivery drivers): App-based drivers are independent contractors if the company does not set their hours, require them to accept specific requests, or restrict work for other companies. Drivers get a net earnings floor of 120% of the applicable minimum wage for engaged time (from accepting a request to completing it) plus a per-mile payment for engaged miles ($0.30 in 2021, adjusted for inflation each year).
Freelance Worker Protection Act (SB 988, Bus. & Prof. Code 18100 et seq.): Covers freelancers hired for professional services worth $250 or more (alone or combined over 120 days) on contracts made or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. The hiring party must give a signed written contract, keep it for at least 4 years, and pay on the contract date or within 30 days of completion. Freelancers can recover damages and attorney's fees.
Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act (AB 1340, Stats. 2025, Ch. 335): Effective January 1, 2026, rideshare (TNC) drivers in California have the right to form, join, and take part in driver organizations and to bargain collectively with rideshare companies over terms and conditions of work. PERB administers the Act (Bus. & Prof. Code 7470 to 7470.21).
State retirement program: CalSavers Retirement Savings Program is live. It is built around W-2 employers and does not cover 1099 contractors through the employer mandate; self-employed residents can enroll on their own.

Questions

Is there a local income tax in Anaheim?

No city income tax applies in Anaheim. California has a graduated state income tax for 2026: 1% to 13.3% (top rate starts at $1,000,000 for single filers).

What local business taxes apply to self-employed self-employed people in Anaheim?

Anaheim Business License Tax: Any individual, sole proprietor or other entity doing business in Anaheim must get a city business license and pay the business license tax, plus a non-refundable $37 minimum processing fee on every new or renewed license. Operating without a license or renewing late brings a penalty of 10% or $10 (whichever is greater) for each month delinquent, plus 1.5% of that amount per month from the first day of delinquency.

Do I need a business license to freelance from home in Anaheim?

Yes. Every business run from a home in Anaheim needs both a city business license and a home occupation permit; the standard business license fee applies and the home occupation permit has no extra cost.

Do self-employed people in California pay state income tax?

California has a graduated state income tax for 2026: 1% to 13.3% (top rate starts at $1,000,000 for single filers). Rates run from 1% to 12.3%, plus a 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax (formerly the Mental Health Services Tax) on taxable income over $1,000,000, for a combined top rate of 13.3%. The 2026 540-ES worksheet tells filers to figure estimated tax using the 2025 tax table. In 2025, the 12.3% bracket started at $742,953 for single filers (ftb.ca.gov/forms/2025/2025-540-tax-rate-schedules.pdf).

When are California estimated tax payments due for 2026?

You generally must pay if you expect to owe at least $500 ($250 if married/RDP filing separately) for 2026 after withholding and credits, and your withholding plus credits will be less than the smaller of 90% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax. Use 110% if your 2025 California AGI was over $150,000, and if your 2026 AGI is $1,000,000 or more you must base payments on your 2026 tax. Uneven installments: 30% by April 15, 2026, 40% by June 15, 2026, 0% for September 15, 2026, and 30% by January 15, 2027. The state form is 540-ES.

Are there other California taxes for self-employed self-employed people?

California LLC annual tax and LLC fee: Every LLC doing business in or registered in California, including a single-member LLC, pays an $800 annual tax by the 15th day of the 4th month of its tax year. LLCs with total California income of $250,000 or more also pay an LLC fee, estimated and paid by the 15th day of the 6th month: $900 ($250,000 to $499,999), $2,500 ($500,000 to $999,999), $6,000 ($1M to $4,999,999), or $11,790 ($5M or more). The first-year exemption from the $800 tax covered only tax years beginning in 2021 through 2023.

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Sources

Facts researched from official sources and independently re-checked; last verified October 2026, next scheduled review 2027-01-02. Educational information for 2026, not tax, legal or investment advice. Rules change; check the official sources listed and a tax professional for your situation. Gigaverse AI, Inc. is a financial technology company, not a bank, and not itself a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer.