The California Redemption Value is a tax charged by the state of California and collected by retailers at the point of sale when purchasing beverages. California imposes a tax of $0.05 for beverage containers less than 24 ounces and a tax of $0.10 for beverage containers more than 24 ounces. The tax encourages consumer recycling, and the state will refund the tax should you bring empty beverage containers to an authorized recycling facility.
Determine the number of beverage containers you've purchased that are less than 24 ounces. For example, assume you purchase 100 12-ounce cans. Multiply this figure by $0.05: 100 x $0.05 = $5. This result represents the CRV tax for containers less than 24 ounces.
Determine the number of beverage containers you've purchased that are more than 24 ounces. For example, assume you purchase 500 30-ounce bottles. Multiply this figure by $0.10: 500 x $0.10 = $50. This result represents the CRV tax for containers more than 24 ounces.
Add the CRV tax for containers less than 24 ounces to the CRV tax for containers more than 24 ounces. Continuing the same example -- $5 + $50 = $55. This figure represents the total CRV tax for the purchase.
