About the Sales Tax Calculator
The Sales Tax Calculator uses Tax Foundation 2024 combined averages for each US state — that is, the state base rate plus a weighted average of city and county rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why might my actual rate differ? US sales tax rates are set at city and county level on top of the state base rate. ZIP-code rates can differ by 2 percentage points or more from the state average, especially in big metropolitan areas.
Is sales tax the same as VAT? No. VAT (used in EU/UK) is collected at every stage of production with credits for business inputs. Sales tax is collected only at the final retail sale. Both serve a similar economic purpose but differ administratively.
Are groceries taxed? Many US states exempt groceries from sales tax or apply a reduced rate. The combined rate here applies to general retail goods.
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