who we are
The California Taxpayers Association was established in 1926 by taxpayers as a nonpartisan, nonprofit tax research and advocacy association.
CalTax members include individuals, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies operating in every sector of the California economy. We are the state’s largest and oldest organization representing taxpayers, with a mission to promote sound tax policy and government efficiency.
Located just one block from the Capitol in Sacramento, we have a team of experts who actively represent taxpayers before the Legislature. Our team also serves on the advisory councils for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, Franchise Tax Board, Office of Tax Appeals, and State Board of Equalization.
CalTax also engages in state and local ballot measures by providing analysis and making recommendations to voters.
The David R. Doerr Medal
Dave began his career in the California State Assembly in 1959 and served as chief tax consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee from 1963 to 1987, when he joined CalTax and served as our chief tax consultant until his passing in 2022. During his tenure as the Assembly’s top tax expert, Dave was responsible for drafting legislation that reformed assessment practices (AB 80 of 1966), exempted business inventories from annual taxation, created water’s-edge provisions (SB 85 of 1986), and implemented Proposition 13 of 1978 (SB 154 of 1978). At CalTax, Dave literally wrote the book on tax policy in California (California’s Tax Machine: A History of Taxing and Spending in the Golden State).
To honor Dave’s legacy, CalTax established the Doerr Medal to celebrate those who mentor a new generation of tax experts and have a positive impact on tax policy. The Doerr Medal is awarded every year at the CalTax Annual Meeting.

Doerr Medal Recipients

Teresa Casazza, CalTax President from 2007 through 2018
Board of Directors
STAFF
National Taxpayers Conference
CalTax is an active member of the National Taxpayers Conference, which consists of state organizations dedicated to promoting sound tax policy and producing independent analysis of public finance issues. Other members include the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, and the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.