Parking Tax

The Parking Tax is a tax imposed on the occupant of an off-street parking space. The tax rate is 18.5% (8.5% supports voter-approved Measure Z – Violence Prevention and Public Safety activities and is allocated to a separate fund) and is collected by parking operators. Approximately half of the City’s Parking Tax revenue is generated from parking at Oakland International Airport. As such, the Parking Tax revenues are strongly correlated with passenger volume at the Oakland International Airport and travel activity more generally. Parking revenue reached its peak of $11.1 million in FY 2018-19 following years of steady economic growth but declined sharply in FY 2020-21 to just $6.3 million, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which emptied downtown offices and triggered large reductions in both business and personal travel.

Parking tax revenues are projected to trend higher as parking activities at the airport increase from the lows experienced in FY2020-21. Parking Tax Revenues are projected to come in at $11.2 million in FY2023-24 and at $11.5 million in FY2024-25.