Sales tax rates and vendor guides for all 50 states & D.C. →
Base state rates shown. Local rates may apply in addition. Always verify with official sources.
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How to calculate sales tax
Sales tax is a percentage added to the price of a taxable item, collected by the seller and passed on to the state. The arithmetic is simple; what makes it awkward is that the correct rate depends on where the sale happens, and it is often three or four rates stacked together.
Total = Price + Sales tax
So a $45 item at 7.25% carries $3.26 of tax and costs the customer $48.26.
The rate is rarely just the state rate
Most states let counties, cities, and special districts add their own increments on top of the state base. The rate that matters is the combined one at the point of sale, and for vendors that generally means the address of the event — not your home address, and not where the item was made.
This is why two craft fairs an hour apart in the same state can require different rates. Before a show, check the combined rate for that specific venue.
A worked example
A show in a city with a 6.5% state rate, a 1% county rate and a 0.5% city rate gives a combined rate of 8%.
Sell 40 items at $25 and you have $1,000 in sales, on which you owe $80 in tax, for $1,080 collected in total.
If you priced everything tax-inclusive at $25 instead, the maths runs the other way — see the reverse sales tax calculator.
The five states with no statewide sales tax
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon charge no statewide sales tax. Alaska is the catch: it permits local jurisdictions to levy their own, so a borough or city there may still require collection. The other four are genuinely clear at the state level.
What vendors get wrong
- Using their home rate at an away show. The venue's rate governs.
- Assuming everything is taxable. Categories vary by state — food, clothing and printed matter are treated very differently from one state to the next.
- Forgetting the local increment and remitting only the state base.
- Not registering before selling. Many states want a permit in hand before your first show, even a one-day one.
Rates here are state base rates for reference. Local rates may apply on top, and rates change — verify with the state's revenue department before you file.
Related tools
To work backwards from a tax-inclusive total, use the reverse sales tax calculator. For the rest of the show maths, see the break-even calculator and the pricing calculator.