Tennessee Sales Tax Calculator 2026 — 7% Rate
Calculate Tennessee sales tax on any purchase instantly. The state sales tax rate is 7%, and the average combined rate (state + local) is 9.61%. Enter your purchase amount to see state tax, local tax, and the total amount due — all calculated privately in your browser.
Tennessee Sales Tax Rate: State vs Combined
The Tennessee state sales tax rate is 7%. However, most shoppers pay more than the state rate because counties and cities add their own local taxes on top. The average combined rate across all jurisdictions in Tennessee is 9.61%, according to Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates 2026. This means a $100 purchase could cost between $107.00 (state only) and more in high-tax localities.
What Is and Isn't Taxed in Tennessee
Tennessee taxes groceries at a reduced state rate of 4% plus local tax — unusual, because most states exempt food entirely rather than discounting it. Clothing is taxed at the standard 7% state rate plus any applicable local rate. Prescription drugs are exempt from sales tax in Tennessee. Prepared food, candy, dietary supplements and alcohol fall outside the 4% food rate and are taxed at the full general rate.
Tennessee Sales Tax Holidays
Tennessee holds sales tax holidays for back-to-school, food, and appliances. During a sales tax holiday, qualifying items are sold without collecting state sales tax — and sometimes local sales tax too. Check the Tennessee Department of Revenue website for exact dates, eligible items, and price limits each year.
How to Calculate Tennessee Sales Tax
To calculate Tennessee sales tax: multiply the purchase price by the applicable rate. For the state rate only: price × 7% = tax. For the combined rate: use 9.61% for an average estimate, or enter the exact local rate from your receipt or the Tennessee Department of Revenue website. Example: a $200 purchase at the 9.61% combined rate = $19.22 in tax = $219.22 total.
Tips for Accurate Sales Tax Calculations
Always confirm the exact local rate for your specific city or county — the combined average (9.61%) is a statewide mean and may differ from your actual checkout rate. Large purchases like vehicles, appliances, or electronics are where the difference between state-only and combined rates matters most. Keep receipts that show the tax rate used; this helps verify correct tax was charged and supports any refund claims for exempt purchases. If you are making a business purchase, check whether your state offers a sales tax exemption certificate to avoid paying tax on resale items.
Sales Tax Calculator Tennessee — How This Tool Works (2026)
This sales tax calculator Tennessee tool applies the 7% state rate under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-202 plus your choice of the 9.61% Tax Foundation 2026 statewide combined average or a state-only figure. For a $200 taxable purchase, expect $14.00 state tax alone or $19.10 combined tax (total $219.10). Tennessee is unusual among US states because groceries are taxed at the full 7% state rate (most states exempt food), and prescription drugs are exempt — the calculator does not auto-adjust for exempt categories, so verify at checkout. Per the Tennessee Department of Revenue Sales and Use Tax page, local option surtaxes range 1.5% to 2.75% by jurisdiction, capped at 9.75% combined by state law. Updated 2026-07-15.
Sales Tax Calculator Tennessee — Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville Local Rates 2026
Local county and city surtaxes stack on top of the flat 7% state rate, so the true tax at checkout in Tennessee's biggest cities varies noticeably. In Davidson County (Nashville) the local rate is 2.25%, giving a combined 9.25% at register. Shelby County (Memphis) adds 2.25% for the same 9.25% combined. Knox County (Knoxville) also sits at 2.25% local = 9.25% combined. Rural counties like Cheatham, Hickman and Loudon top out at 2.75% local, producing the 9.75% cap set by state law. The single-article local option tax cap is $1,600 per item; luxury purchases above that threshold are billed the base combined rate on the excess, not the higher local band.
This sales tax calculator Tennessee tool uses the Tax Foundation 2026 statewide average of 9.61% for the "combined" option, which sits between the urban 9.25% and the rural 9.75%. For a receipt-exact match, look up your zip code on the Tennessee Department of Revenue sales and use tax page, then override the calculator by using the state-only 7% option and adding the local band manually. The Department publishes a full county-by-county rate schedule under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-702 that updates each January and July.
Updated 2026-07-08. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax.
Tennessee Sales Tax on Cars, Boats, and RVs (Vehicle Rules 2026)
Vehicles carry different math than everyday retail on this sales tax calculator Tennessee page — the state 7% still applies to the full price, but the local option surtax caps at the first $1,600 (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-702) and an additional single-article state tax of 2.75% applies from $1,600 up to $3,200. Example on a $30,000 car in Nashville (Davidson 2.25% local): $30,000 × 7% state = $2,100, plus $1,600 × 2.25% local = $36, plus ($3,200 − $1,600) × 2.75% state single-article = $44 — total $2,180 tax, not $2,775 you'd get by naively multiplying $30,000 × 9.25%. Boats and RVs follow the same three-band structure. Title, wheel tax, and county clerk fees are separate and set at your DMV appointment. Per the TN DoR single article tax limitation page, always compute vehicle sales tax with the three-band method — not the flat 9.25%. Updated 2026-07-22.
Tennessee Grocery Tax: The 4% Food Rate vs the 7% General Rate
Tennessee taxes food and food ingredients at a reduced state rate of 4%, not the general 7% rate, and the Department of Revenue confirms local jurisdictions add their own rate on top — capped at 2.75%. That puts a typical grocery basket in Nashville or Memphis near 6.75% rather than the 9.25%–9.75% combined rate this calculator applies to general merchandise, so a $200 grocery run costs about $13.50 in tax instead of roughly $19. The catch is what counts as “food.” Unprepared items you take home — bread, milk, raw meat, produce, tinned goods — get the 4% rate. Prepared food, candy, dietary supplements and alcoholic beverages are excluded and go back to the full 7% state rate plus local, which is why a rotisserie chicken from the hot counter is taxed higher than the raw chicken two aisles over. Restaurant meals are always at the general rate. If you are checking a grocery receipt with this calculator, use 4% plus your county’s local rate for the food lines and the full combined rate for everything else. Rates confirmed against the Tennessee Department of Revenue due dates and tax rates page. Updated 2026-08-23.
Tennessee Sales Tax on Common Purchase Amounts
If you only want a quick sanity check on a receipt, the table below pre-computes the tax at the three rates that actually appear at a Tennessee register: 7% state alone, 9.25% (Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties), and 9.75% (the state-law ceiling reached by counties such as Rutherford, Cheatham and Sevier). These are general-merchandise figures — groceries use the 4% food rate instead, and single items above $1,600 use the three-band vehicle method described above. Local option rates are published county-by-county by the Tennessee Department of Revenue and change each January and July.
| Purchase | Tax @ 7% | Tax @ 9.25% | Tax @ 9.75% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.70 | $0.93 | $0.98 |
| $25 | $1.75 | $2.31 | $2.44 |
| $50 | $3.50 | $4.63 | $4.88 |
| $100 | $7.00 | $9.25 | $9.75 |
| $500 | $35.00 | $46.25 | $48.75 |
| $1,000 | $70.00 | $92.50 | $97.50 |
Updated 2026-08-31.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sales tax rate in Tennessee?
The Tennessee state sales tax rate is 7%. When combined with local county and city taxes, the average rate across Tennessee is 9.61% (Tax Foundation 2026).
Does Tennessee tax groceries?
Yes, but at a reduced state rate. Food and food ingredients are taxed at 4% state instead of the general 7%, plus your local rate (capped at 2.75%), so most grocery baskets land near 6.75% rather than the 9.25%-9.75% applied to general merchandise. Prepared food, candy, dietary supplements and alcohol are excluded and taxed at the full general rate.
Is clothing taxed in Tennessee?
Tennessee taxes clothing purchases at the standard 7.0% state rate, plus any applicable local rates.
What is the combined sales tax rate in Tennessee?
The average combined (state + local) sales tax rate in Tennessee is 9.61%. The state portion is 7%; the remainder comes from county and municipal taxes that vary by location.
How do I calculate sales tax in Tennessee?
Multiply the purchase price by the rate. For state tax only: price × 0.0700. For the statewide average combined rate: price × 0.0961. Example: $50 × 0.0961 = $4.81 tax, total $54.81. At the 9.25% register rate in Nashville, Memphis or Knoxville the same $50 purchase carries $4.63 tax for a $54.63 total.
What is the sales tax rate for Nashville and Memphis?
Both Davidson County (Nashville) and Shelby County (Memphis) charge a local option surtax of 2.25% on top of the 7% state rate, giving a combined register rate of 9.25%. Knoxville (Knox County) matches at 9.25% combined. Rural counties like Cheatham, Hickman and Loudon reach the state-law cap of 9.75%. Always verify against your zip code on the Tennessee Department of Revenue site before ringing up a large purchase.
Does the Tennessee sales tax calculator include the $1,600 single-article cap?
This sales tax calculator Tennessee tool applies a flat combined rate for simplicity. In real life, the local option tax under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-702 stops at $1,600 per single article — luxury purchases above that (a $3,000 refrigerator, a $2,500 sofa) pay full local tax only on the first $1,600 and just the state 7% on the remainder. For high-ticket items, calculate state tax on the full price plus local tax on the first $1,600 only.
Sales tax calculator Tennessee — how do I use this tool for online purchases?
For online orders shipped to a Tennessee address, use this sales tax calculator Tennessee with the combined 9.61% average when you do not know the destination zip code's exact rate. When you do know the local rate (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville = 9.25%; rural counties up to 9.75%), select 'State Only (7%)' in the calculator, note the state figure, then add local tax manually. Since the 2018 Wayfair v. South Dakota decision, most out-of-state sellers with a Tennessee marketplace nexus are required to collect Tennessee sales tax at the destination rate — verify the tax shown on your order matches your local combined rate.
When did Tennessee last update its sales tax rate, and is 7% likely to change in 2026?
The Tennessee state sales tax rate has stood at 7% since 2002 under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-202, with no scheduled increase for 2026. Local option surtaxes are set independently by each county and city, and can change by referendum each July or January. The 9.61% combined statewide average has crept up roughly 0.1 percentage point per year as more jurisdictions raise their local option tax toward the 2.75% state-law ceiling. Always verify against your specific zip code on the Tennessee Department of Revenue site before ringing up a large purchase.
How much sales tax do I pay on a car in Tennessee?
Tennessee uses a three-band structure for vehicles, not the flat 9.25%. State 7% on the full price + local surtax on the first $1,600 only (2.25% in Nashville/Memphis/Knoxville, up to 2.75% elsewhere) + state single-article 2.75% on the price between $1,600 and $3,200. On a $30,000 car in Davidson County you pay about $2,180 total sales tax, not $2,775. Title fee, wheel tax, and county clerk fees are separate. Verify at the Tennessee Department of Revenue single-article limitation page before your DMV appointment.
Are RVs and boats taxed the same as cars in Tennessee?
Yes — recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers all fall under the single-article tax limitation in Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-6-702, so the same three-band method applies (state 7% on full price, local surtax capped at first $1,600, state single-article 2.75% on $1,600–$3,200). Aircraft follow the same structure. This is why calculators showing a flat combined rate over-estimate tax on any single item above $1,600.
What is the Tennessee grocery sales tax rate in 2026?
Food and food ingredients are taxed at a reduced state rate of 4 percent instead of the general 7 percent, plus your local rate which cannot exceed 2.75 percent. That puts most grocery baskets near 6.75 percent rather than the 9.25 to 9.75 percent combined rate applied to general merchandise. Prepared food, candy, dietary supplements and alcohol are excluded and taxed at the full general rate.
Why is my rotisserie chicken taxed higher than raw chicken in Tennessee?
Because it is prepared food. Tennessee limits the reduced 4 percent food rate to unprepared food and food ingredients you take home. Anything heated, sold with utensils, or combined by the seller into a ready-to-eat item falls outside that definition and is taxed at the general 7 percent state rate plus local tax. The same rule sends candy and dietary supplements to the general rate.
How much is sales tax on $100 in Tennessee?
$7.00 at the 7% state rate alone, $9.25 at the 9.25% combined rate charged in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and $9.75 in counties sitting at the 9.75% state-law ceiling. On $1,000 the same three rates give $70.00, $92.50 and $97.50. Groceries are cheaper because food uses a 4% state rate rather than 7%.
Why does my Tennessee receipt show a different rate than this calculator?
The calculator's combined option uses the 9.61% statewide average, which sits between the 9.25% charged in the four largest counties and the 9.75% ceiling in many rural ones — so it will rarely match a receipt to the cent. For an exact match, choose 'State Only (7%)' to get the state portion, then add your county's local option rate from the Tennessee Department of Revenue rate schedule. Groceries (4% state) and single items over $1,600 also follow separate rules the flat rate does not model.