But that's the top marginal rate filing single. A California tax payer earning $677,272 pays 49.3 percent on each additional dollar but 43.9% is the effective rate on whole income. This is a very high single earner income.

A married couple with this income pays only 37.5% and doesn't max out until going over 1,359 million, at which point they pay the 43,9 effective.

You have to be a truly massive earner to hit 50% effective in CA.