Variability of sales taxes in local markets

We all know about state-wide sales taxes, but do you know what you’re paying locally?

Retail sales taxes are often represented as a flat rate for each of the 50 states. In fact, many online shopping carts only allow merchants to input a single rate per state. In reality, for two-thirds of the country, local-option sales taxes make it considerably more difficult for merchants and consumers alike to know what the sales and use tax rates are. The Tax Foundation recently released a report, “Ranking State and Local Sales Taxes,” by Kail Padgitt, that focuses on how different states and municipalities handle the vagaries of sales taxes and how they stack up against one another.