Question 1

Which states have no sales tax?

Accepted Answer

Five states have no statewide sales tax: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Alaska (Alaska has no state sales tax but allows local municipalities to levy their own, averaging 1.81%). If you sell exclusively to these states, you do not need to collect sales tax.

Question 2

What is economic nexus?

Accepted Answer

Economic nexus is a legal threshold that requires a business to register for and collect sales tax in a state, even without a physical presence there. After the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, most states set the threshold at $100,000 in annual sales or 200 transactions. Some states (CA, NY, TX) use a $500,000 threshold. Check each state's threshold in this tool.

Question 3

What is the difference between state and local sales tax?

Accepted Answer

State sales tax is a base rate set by the state government. Local sales tax is an additional rate levied by counties, cities, and special districts on top of the state rate. The combined rate (state + local) is what customers actually pay. For example, Colorado's state rate is only 2.9%, but local taxes push the average combined rate to 7.65%.

Question 4

How often do sales tax rates change?

Accepted Answer

State sales tax rates change infrequently, but local rates can change quarterly as new districts are created or existing rates are adjusted. We update our data annually. For the most current local rates, always verify with your state Department of Revenue or use a tax compliance service like Avalara or TaxJar.

Question 5

Do marketplace facilitators handle sales tax?

Accepted Answer

In most states, marketplace facilitators (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart Marketplace) are responsible for collecting and remitting sales tax on behalf of third-party sellers. However, if you also sell through your own website or other channels, you may still need to register and collect in states where you meet the economic nexus threshold.

Question 6

What is origin-based vs destination-based sales tax?

Accepted Answer

In origin-based states (like Illinois, Texas, Utah), you collect sales tax at the rate of your business location. In destination-based states (like Washington, California, New York), you collect at the rate of the customer's shipping address. Most states are origin-based, but the trend is moving toward destination-based.

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