Key Findings
- Forty-five states and the District of Columbia collect statewide sales taxes.
- Local sales taxes are collected in 38 states. In some cases, they can rival or even exceed state rates.
- The five states with the highest average combined state and local sales tax rates are Tennessee (9.548 percent), Louisiana (9.547 percent), Arkansas (9.44 percent), Washington (9.40 percent), and Alabama (9.24 percent).
- South Dakota cut its state sales tax rate from 4.5 to 4.2 percent effective July 2023, the most recent statewide rate reduction since New Mexico trimmed its sales tax rate from 5.125 percent to 5 percent in July 2022.
- Sales tax rates differ by state, but sales tax bases also impact how much revenue is collected from a tax and how the tax affects the economy.
- Sales tax rate differentials can induce consumers to shop across borders or buy products online.
Source Tax Foundation
