North Carolina Sales Tax Calculator

Free North Carolina sales tax calculator 2026. 4.75% state + 2.23% local = 6.98% combined. Reverse calc & exemptions. No sign-up.

How North Carolina Sales Tax Works

Ring up $1,000 of goods in North Carolina and the register adds roughly $69.80 — a 6.98% combined rate that puts North Carolina at #26 among the 50 states. The building blocks are a 4.75% statewide rate plus an average of 2.23% in county and city taxes. Grocery budgets catch a break, though: like the rest of the South's big grocery-relief states, North Carolina doesn't tax food.

What you wear gets taxed in North Carolina; what you eat doesn't. Groceries and prescription drugs are exempt, but clothing sells at the full 6.98% combined rate — worth remembering during back-to-school season, when the cart of binders and jeans is taxed while the cart of lunch groceries isn't.

Running the numbers is plain multiplication: price × 0.0698 = tax. Take a $500 laptop in North Carolina — $500 × 0.0698 comes to $34.90 in sales tax, bringing the register total to $534.90. The calculator above does this for any amount and any rate override in one step.

Where in North Carolina you shop changes the math. Counties and cities layer an average of 2.23% onto the 4.75% state base, and individual jurisdictions run above or below that average. The 6.98% figure is the statewide mean — your actual register rate depends on the address.

Where does that put North Carolina nationally? Its 6.98% average combined rate ranks 26th of the 50 states — above the 50-state average of 6.59% by 0.39 points. For context, the two states whose combined rates sit closest to North Carolina's are Indiana (7.00%) and Rhode Island (7.00%).

North Carolina Sales Tax Key Rates (2026)

Statewide Base Rate

4.75%

Avg County + City Rate

2.23%

North Carolina Combined Rate

6.98%

Tax on $1,000

$69.80

Total on $1,000

$1069.80

NC Clothing

Taxed

North Carolina Sales Tax FAQ

What is the sales tax rate in North Carolina?

The state rate in North Carolina is 4.75%; average local taxes add 2.23%, bringing the combined rate to about 6.98%. North Carolina ranks 26th of the 50 states by combined rate.

How do I calculate sales tax in North Carolina?

Price times rate, that's the whole formula. At North Carolina's 6.98% average combined rate, a $100 purchase adds $6.98 in tax and $106.98 at checkout. The calculator above runs the math forward and backward for any amount.

Are groceries taxed in North Carolina?

North Carolina does not tax groceries or prescription drugs. Clothing is the everyday category that doesn't escape — it rings up at the full 6.98% combined rate, along with everything else that isn't food or medicine.

Is North Carolina's sales tax higher or lower than average?

Higher — 6.98% combined versus the 6.59% national average, a 0.39-point gap. North Carolina ranks 26th of 50 states.

Do city and county rates differ within North Carolina?

They do. Local jurisdictions in North Carolina add an average of 2.23% on top of the 4.75% state rate, and individual cities and counties sit above or below that average. The 6.98% figure is the statewide mean, so your actual register rate depends on where you shop.

Does North Carolina charge sales tax on online purchases?

Yes. Following the 2018 South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court ruling, online retailers must collect North Carolina sales tax on purchases shipped to North Carolina residents. The rate is based on the buyer's location within North Carolina, including any applicable local portion.

Nearby State Sales Tax Calculators

All 50 States Virginia (5.75%)Tennessee (9.56%)Georgia (7.40%)South Carolina (7.44%)

Rachel MitchellCPA

Lead Tax Analyst & Editorial Director, TheTaxCalc

Rachel Mitchell is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Illinois with over 12 years of experience in individual and small-business taxation. She specializes in federal and state income tax compliance, FICA optimization, payroll tax strategy, and multi-state tax planning. Rachel holds an MS in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois CPA Society. Before joining TheTaxCalc, Rachel spent 8 years at a Big Four accounting firm advising high-net-worth clients on tax-efficient wealth strategies.

Reviewed: January 2026Tax data verified against IRS Publication 15-T & state revenue departments