NJ--no tax on most food, clothing, prescription drugs. No tax on paper plates, but plastic or coated ones are taxed (to promote saving the environment). Snack foods--candies, sodas etc--are taxed; restaurant meals are taxed.

Items like fabric, yarn, thread that can be used to make clothes are not taxed, but other craft supplies are.

It's actually pretty complicated, and not even all merchants know the exact list of things they're supposed to and not supposed to tax--I've caught a lot of mistakes both ways, over the years.

Tax rate is 7% statewide. BUT, as mentioned in my other response on the converter box thread, there are certain districts where tax is always only 3.5%. They're considered "urban enterprise zones"--areas where the local economy needs a boost. Some of them really don't have very good shopping, but there is one city nearby that's in the middle of a very rural area, that is growing by leaps and boungs--they have a mall, all the usuall big stores (Target, Kohl's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Boscov's, Circut City, best buy, a mall, loads of other good stores). There are requirements that stores have to meet to qualify for the lower tax rate--it's not just based on geography. But it's a great way to save a few $$$.

Ohio: No taxes on actual groceries, but they do tax clothes. If you eat inside a restaurant, the food is taxed.....carryout is not taxed.

Shirley

IL: 1 percent on food and drugs. Everything else is 6.25 (or is it 6.5?) with the option of local sales taxes to be added.

Michigan. 6% sales tax on everything except food and labor charges. Prepared foods, such as market dellies that sell cooked food and salads, as well as restaurants, are taxed. Labor, such as mechanics fees and such as that are not taxed, but there is tax on the parts and materials you purchase for the job to be done.

Iowa taxes clothing and labor charges. Iowa is one of just a few states that taxes your Social Security when you are retired.

In Ontario we pay a total of 14% tax on just about everything except food. We've got a Provincial Sales Tax AND a "Goods and Services Tax".

The tax rate is 5 percent, but groceries and clothing are not taxed.

CA: 8.25% on food and clothing

Pa is at 6% -- but groceries and clothing are NOT taxed.

Tennessee:

State sales tax 7%
Local sales tax 2.25%
Prescriptions - none
Food 5.5%
Clothing is taxed
NO state income tax

Pa is 6% but you have the privledge of paying an additional 1% within the Phila. city limits. This goes into a slush fund used to supplement our crooked politicians incomes between jail stays.

CA: 8.25% on clothing. Hot foods and snack items are also taxed.

GA - 7% on clothing. Restaurants tax 7%. Groceries do not, but "ready to eat" food does (I think it's 3%). I think I've even seen it on gum....maybe it's a candy & gum tax? Hmmm. City of Atlanta has an additional 1%.

8.3% in my town, every community's/city/county rates are different.
The only thing not 'sales' taxed is food groceries. All to go/ready to eat is taxed at 8.3%.

Kansas-EVERYTHING is taxed here!

In WA our local tax just went up to 9%. No tax on groceries but we do pay tax on pop and juice if it has water in it. No tax on prescriptions, but full tax on things like aspirin even if your doctor tells you to take it. Full tax on clothing and stuff like fabric. We have the highest tax in the country on cigaretts and gas I think. Cigaretts are over $5.00 a pack. Thank God I quit smoking about 20 years ago. My husband would divorce me if I spent that much on smokes.
Pat

I think we're taxed on most everything, food, clothing, etc. Also, pay personal property tax, state income tax. Finally starting this year, Social Security income was exempt. Rates are different depending where you live and what tax rates have passed in each county.

"CA: 8.25% on food and clothing"

"CA: 8.25% on clothing. Hot foods and snack items are also taxed."

Well, I live in California and the tax rate where I live is 7.75%. We're half a mile from the county line to the next county, where the tax rate is 7.25%.

Food purchased at a grocery store is not taxable; but food ordered to eat in a restaurant is taxable. Hot food ordered "to go" at a restaurant is taxable. Cold food ordered "to go" is usually taxed because restaurants are allowed to use what is referred to as the 80% rule -- basically it's that if 80% of what is ordered from that establishment is taxable, then the restaurant can tax everything. But, some restaurants don't charge tax on cold food to go. (And they can't if they don't meet the 80% rule.)

Bet most people don't know that in the State of California, it is not the buyer's obligation to pay sales tax. That burden falls on the seller, but the state allows the sellers to have the buyers reimburse them for the sales tax.

Mississippi - everything is taxed!

Here I think it is about 9% but that is 2 taxes added together. I think one is city and the other is state. We get taxed on everything too.

In Hot Springs the combined tax is about 12% I remember buying something at Walmart there and seeing the 12%.

In Eureka Springs, they have tourist tax and I think it is up there $$wise. It has been awhile since we were there but I remember we were charged tourist tax on our hotel bill. I called to find out what the extra $$ on my debit card was and she said we have tourist tax. I thought it was 18%? But that was several years ago(2001 I think) so I could be wrong on the %.

I live in Maine where there is a tax on clothing (5%) but not on food (except "meals"). Next door is NH which has so sales tax at all (food or clothes), but I believe there is a meals tax. Mass does not tax food and only taxes clothes when it is considered a luxury (mink coat, for example).

Itsmesuzeq...we do not pay tax on food in California. We will pay on non-food items you buy at the grocery store (sponges, batteries, etc.). Maybe you meant restaurant food.

8.25 percent

California's SALES TAX is NOT 8.25%.

It is 7.25%

However: "California has many special taxing jurisdictions (districts), which are funded by a transactions (sales) and use tax rate that is added to the standard statewide rate of 7.25%, effective January 1, 2002. The tax rates for these districts range from 0.10% to 1.00% per district. In some areas, there is more than one district tax in effect. In others, there is no district tax in effect."

Sometimes these 'districts' are nothing more than an individual county, and there are 58 counties in California.

Yes, sales tax varies within the 50 states.

At the linked website you can pull up a table of SALES TAXES by state.

By the way, before anyone gets too excited by the fact that Oregon has NO state SALES tax; believe me, Oregon makes up for it in other areas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Federation of Tax Administrators