# How much combined sales tax do you pay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835 "2019-08-18T10:45:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/41 "2019-08-19T11:45:46Z")
Interesting answers. There’s a lot of variation between states and in other countries. State & local government needs money to operate. They will get it either through the income tax, property tax, or sales tax. Maybe all. 😉 I prefer sales tax because I can more easily watch my spending and what I buy. A high state Income tax can be more of a burden. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/42 "2019-08-19T11:58:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Interesting answers. There’s a lot of variation between states and in other countries. > > State & local government needs money to operate. They will get it either through the income tax, property tax, or sales tax. Maybe all. 😉 > > I prefer sales tax because I can more easily watch my spending and what I buy. A high state Income tax can be more of a burden. Sales tax is often looked at as an unfair tax for the poor. It eats into their money pretty sharply compared to the negligible impact on those in the Upper & upper middle class. Also the reason why many states don’t tax unprepared foods and most clothing. NJ has a fairly high but graduated income tax and among the highest property taxes in the US. For this we do get top 5 schools in country while dealing with the densest population level of any state. We’re currently rated #2 for schools. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/43 "2019-08-19T14:30:47Z")
As mentioned, no state sales tax in Oregon, nor city sales tax in Portland, where I live. In Alaska, sales tax varied by city, but there was none in Anchorage where I lived. Most places make up for absence of it with fees and property taxes. Property owners bear the brunt of supporting city government here. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/44 "2019-08-19T15:07:38Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Grew up with 5% in MD. There was no local/county addition. It’s 6% now, since 2008. Still no local. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/45 "2019-08-19T15:17:51Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yep, me too. I wish they’d raise it to 9% to fund schools even more. Yeah, that doesn’t work. We’ve got $10 million extra from sales taxes? Great, let’s move $10 million from income taxes over to this pot of money. And while I don’t care if something is regressive or not, a lot of people _do_ care about the regressive nature of sales taxes, and it’s usually the same audience that says “more money for schools” as says “but let’s not impose regressive taxes on the poor!” ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/46 "2019-08-19T15:53:55Z")
State sales tax in Connecticut is 6.35%. There are no municipal or county sales taxes in Connecticut (nor county government, for that matter). However, we do have a state income tax as well as property taxes (on real estate and vehicles). When you buy a car, you pay sales tax on the vehicle purchase, and annual property taxes based on the value of the car as long as you own it. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/47 "2019-08-19T16:12:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Generally crossing the bridge into N Little Rock isn’t a big deal. The extra .5% on Restaurant bills is negligible. You’d probably want to buy your new 28k car in Little Rock. Unless Arkansas is very different from the places I am familiar with, you pay sales taxes based on where the car is registered or the goods are delivered, not where the seller is located.\* If I buy a car in NYS , and register it with a NYC address, I will pay the NYC rate no matter where in the state the seller is located. If I buy furniture in Long Island or NJ to be delivered to NYC, I will owe sales taxes at the NYC rate ( If I buy from a chain like Raymour and Flanigan with locations in NYC , they will directly charge me the NYC rate, if I buy from a business with no NYC locations, I am still supposed to pay the difference with my tax return)\*\* . If as a non-resident of NJ, I buy a car in NJ, I am exempt from NJ sales tax, but will have to pay the NYC rate when I register it. - Of course, if I’m buying something that I carry out of the store, the place where the goods were delivered to me is the seller’s location and there’s no telling whether I brought them back to NYC, \*\* And I know people who have been caught for non-payment because they bought something expensive in NJ ( I think it was a piano) didn’t pay NJ sales taxes because it was delivered to NYC and then also didn’t pay the NYC sales tax. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/48 "2019-08-19T16:15:35Z")
I pay Pennsylvania’s 6% sales tax. I live outside of the Allegheny County 1% additional tax. I was looking at cars a few years ago and realized I’d strayed into Allegheny County. I steered away from that dealership. Additionally,[Allegheny County has an alcoholic drink tax.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_County_Alcoholic_Beverage_Tax) I avoid drinking in Allegheny County on principle. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/49 "2019-08-19T17:37:01Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I pay Pennsylvania’s 6% sales tax. I live outside of the Allegheny County 1% additional tax. I was looking at cars a few years ago and realized I’d strayed into Allegheny County. I steered away from that dealership. According this [fact sheet](http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BMV/BMV%20Fact%20Sheets/fs-buysell.pdf) , you didn’t have to. > [@](#): > > Pennsylvania sales tax is 6% of the purchase price or the current market value of the vehicle (7% for > residents of Allegheny County and 8% for City of Philadelphia residents). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/50 "2019-08-19T18:41:17Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Yeah, that doesn’t work. We’ve got $10 million extra from sales taxes? Great, let’s move $10 million from income taxes over to this pot of money. And while I don’t care if something is regressive or not, a lot of people _do_ care about the regressive nature of sales taxes, and it’s usually the same audience that says “more money for schools” as says “but let’s not impose regressive taxes on the poor!” Whenever I’m not feeling abused enough, I bring this up to my spouse, who then unloads on me about the regressive nature of sales taxes. While I agree with that, I’m also tired of my property taxes being jacked up on my over-inflated property “value”. Hipsters seem to have discovered the joy of breeding, without any regard for the impact on the school systems, yet they bitch incessantly about how schools are overcrowded and underfunded. :rolleyes: This city can’t afford to fix potholes or schools or much else, so instead of funding it through taxation, have started shutting down public facilities like recreation centers and public pools. Makes me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/51 "2019-08-19T20:50:12Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > According this [fact sheet](http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BMV/BMV%20Fact%20Sheets/fs-buysell.pdf) , you didn’t have to. Good to know, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/52 "2019-08-22T02:30:24Z")
It’s 8.75% here in Sacramento. State sales tax is 6.25%, local sales tax is 1%, and we pay a 1.5% ‘temporary’ sales tax increase to fund a couple recent bond measures. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/53 "2019-08-22T02:36:07Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Is that New Hampshire? You didn’t say and I’m going on your location. Correct ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/54 "2019-08-22T03:23:25Z")
7 1/2%. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/55 "2019-08-22T03:30:40Z")
Zip. I live in Delaware. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/56 "2019-08-23T13:32:07Z")
I live in an unincorporated town in Colorado so sales tax is only 4.5%. When I go down to the cities to shop occasionally it goes up to 7.5% but I generally only shop on amazon so I only pay the 4.5% and I try to shop our local retailers when possible so that we keep them. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/57 "2019-08-23T20:26:40Z")
NC has 8% except food which is 2%. The local governments tax food but the state does not so that is the difference. Also there is a separate local tax for eating out at a restaurant, I think it’s 6%. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/58 "2019-08-23T21:17:58Z")
Idaho’s got a 6% sales tax. There are apparently a few cities with local taxes on top of that, but I’m not in any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/59 "2019-08-26T05:22:10Z")
None at all here in Oregon. While it’s nice to pay exactly the amount shown on the price tag, I don’t doubt the state offsets it by some other kind of tax. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835/60 "2019-08-26T20:18:12Z")
Where I live, it’s 8.375% We’ve got the CA state tax, county tax, city tax, and a 1.13% “special district” tax. No idea what that is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-combined-sales-tax-do-you-pay/838835.md?page=4)