North Carolina collects a 4.75% state general sales tax. Additionally, every county charges local sales tax in North Carolina ranging between 2% and 2.75%. This calculator calculates North Carolina's standard and reverse sales taxes. The only information necessary to instantly generate the answers is the amount before taxes, the amount after taxes, and the tax rate.
North Carolina is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous state of the United States of America, located in the southeastern region. The state shares its borders with the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and South Carolina to the south.
North Carolina holds a special place in its residents' hearts as it offers pristine nature with the stunning Appalachian Mountains, over 300 miles of coastline, temperate weather, southern hospitality, great opportunities for work, recreation, and education, and affordable living. Moreover, its flourishing economy, favorable business environment, and plenty of business opportunities have attracted numerous businesses to establish in the state.
If you plan to start, expand, or move your business in North Carolina, it is suggested to educate yourself with North Carolina Sales Tax. For your assistance, our experts have invested days and nights to bring you a handy NC Sales Tax guide along with a North Carolina Sales Tax Calculator to make your business decision a lot easier.
Businesses and Sellers who have Nexus are required to pay Sales tax to North Carolina on retail sales of specific tangible personal property and services, including laundry service, admissions to entertainment events (e.g., movie tickets) as well as the repair of tangible personal property (including automobiles). They must collect, manage, and transfer it to the North Carolina Department of Revenue while staying in compliance with state laws and avoid penalties and interest.
The sales tax determined on four factors:
To calculate Sales Tax in North Carolina, follow the steps below:
As a business owner, you are only required to collect sales tax if you are eligible for collecting sales tax and have Sales Tax Nexus in North Carolina State. And to determine your Nexus in North Carolina, you must have any of the following:
Once you have determined that your Nexus is with North Carolina, next is to deduce the Sales Tax rate (State + Local Sales Tax) applicable on your product, for which you can refer the tables below:
Once you have determined that your Nexus is with North Carolina, next is to deduce the Sales Tax rate (State + County + City) applicable to your product, for which you can refer the tables below:
North Carolina Sales Tax Rates(Updated 2024) | |||
---|---|---|---|
County | State Rate | County Rate | Total Sales Tax |
Alamance | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Alexander | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Alleghany | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Anson | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Ashe | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Avery | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Beaufort | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Bertie | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Bladen | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Brunswick | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Buncombe | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Burke | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Cabarrus | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Caldwell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Camden | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Carteret | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Caswell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Catawba | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Chatham | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Cherokee | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Chowan | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Clay | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Cleveland | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Columbus | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Craven | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Cumberland | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Currituck | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Dare | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Davidson | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Davie | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Duplin | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Durham | 4.75% | 2.75% | 7.50% |
Edgecombe | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Forsyth | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Franklin | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Gaston | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Gates | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Graham | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Granville | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Greene | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Guilford | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Halifax | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Harnett | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Haywood | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Henderson | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Hertford | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Hoke | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Hyde | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Iredell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Jackson | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Johnston | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Jones | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Lee | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Lenoir | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Lincoln | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Macon | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Madison | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Martin | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
McDowell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Mecklenburg | 4.75% | 2.50% | 7.25% |
Mitchell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Montgomery | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Moore | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Nash | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
New Hanover | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Northampton | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Onslow | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Orange | 4.75% | 2.75% | 7.50% |
Pamlico | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Pasquotank | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Pender | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Perquimans | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Person | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Pitt | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Polk | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Randolph | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Richmond | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Robeson | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Rockingham | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Rowan | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Rutherford | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Sampson | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Scotland | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Stanly | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Stokes | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Surry | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Swain | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Transylvania | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Tyrrell | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Union | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Vance | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Wake | 4.75% | 2.50% | 7.25% |
Warren | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Washington | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Watauga | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Wayne | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Wilkes | 4.75% | 2.25% | 7.00% |
Wilson | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Yadkin | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
Yancey | 4.75% | 2.00% | 6.75% |
After determining the sales tax rate according to the location and type of purchases, it is easy to calculate the sales tax amount charged on the product and gross price (amount after tax) of a product.
Example # 1:
For instance, you are selling a Portable Fan on your store in Apex, North Carolina, having a net price tag of $57. The amount that a buyer has to pay (including sales tax) on a check out would be:
Manual Method:
Net Price (amount before Tax) of a Portable Fan: $57
Total Sales Tax rate: 0.00% (Apex) + 2.50% (Wake County) + 4.75% (North Carolina State) = 7.250%
Total Sales Tax amount = $57 x 7.250% = $4.13
Gross Price (Amount after Tax) = 57 + 4.13 = $61.1
It means the buyer has to pay $61.1 for a Portable Fan on a cash counter.
Using our Sales Tax Calculator:
All of the steps mentioned above can be skipped to get an instant result using our Sales Tax Calculator. All you need is:
Our calculator will automatically calculate the result, and represents it in 3 different forms, as shown in the image below:
In the example above, we have explained to you to calculate the Sales Tax amount payable in a product, and the Gross Price of the Product.
But there are also instances when you are required to deduce how much sales tax buyer has actually paid on a product or you may want to check the accuracy of the sales tax indicated on your item's receipt.
This is where the Reverse Sales Tax Calculation Kicks in. And luckily, our North Carolina Sales Tax Calculator can perform this calculation like a Pro.
Example:
Your buyer has paid $95 for a Portable Light at your store in High Point, North Carolina. Now the buyer is inquiring how much a Portable Light actually cost before the sales tax was added. So you need to follow the steps below to determine the amount before tax (net price) of a Portable Light:
Gross Price (Amount after Tax) of Portable Light: $95
Total Sales Tax rate: 0.00% (High Point) + 2.00% (Guilford County) + 4.75% (North Carolina State) = 6.75%.
Manual Method:
Gross Price with sales tax = [Net Price × (tax rate in decimal form + 1)]
95 = [Net Price x ((6.75/100) + 1)]
95 = Net Price x 1.07
$88.7 = Net Price
So the original Price (net price) of a Portable Light was $88.7.
Using our Sales Tax Calculator:
You can also use our Sales Tax Calculator for Reverse Sales Tax calculation to skip the aforementioned manual method. All you need is:
Our calculator will automatically calculate the result and represents it in 3 different forms.
Answer: The sales tax rate charged in North Carolina on the state level is 4.75%. Additionally, every county levy a local sales tax ranging from 2% to 2.75%.
Answer: The retail sales of specific tangible personal property and services, including laundry service, admissions to entertainment events (e.g., movie tickets), as well as the repair of tangible personal property (including automobiles) is subjected to sales tax in North Carolina.
Answer: Yes, labor or services involving repair, maintenance, or installation services of tangible personal property (including automobiles) are subjected to sales tax in North Carolina.
Answer: Yes, Groceries and most other types of foods are charged with a special reduced sales tax rate of 2% in North Carolina.
Answer: Yes, all delivery, shipping, handling and transportation charges charged by the retailer involved with the sale of taxable tangible personal property, certain services for storage, use, consumption or otherwise sourced to the State, as well as specific digital property are subjected to North Carolina Sales Tax.