Vermont Sales Tax Calculator (6.36% Combined Rate)
Vermont has a 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in some cities, putting most populated areas at 6–7%. A separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax applies to lodging and restaurants. The Tax Foundation pegs Vermont's combined state+local rate at 6.36% for 2026 — that's what this calculator applies to your purchase amount. Estimated using the combined state + average local rate; actual rate depends on your exact location (city/ZIP).
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Sales tax | Total (purchase + tax) |
|---|---|---|
| $100 purchase (6.36%) | $6.36 | $106.36 |
| $500 purchase (6.36%) | $31.80 | $531.80 |
| $1,500 purchase (6.36%) | $95.40 | $1,595.40 |
How This Calculator Works
Vermont's 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in select cities means most populated areas run at 6% or 7%. Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing in full (no threshold), and maintains a separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax on lodging and restaurants. Burlington is the largest city; the state's economy leans on dairy (cheddar, Cabot, Ben & Jerry's), maple syrup (largest U.S. producer), and ski tourism (Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush). Cross-border shoppers from New York take advantage of Vermont's no-cap clothing exemption against the New York $110-per-item threshold. The 6% Vermont statutory portion plus local layers reach 6.36% on the Tax Foundation's 2026 combined-rate map. Enter the pre-tax amount; the page returns Vermont sales tax and total. At a — register the actual rate runs higher; in — closer to 6%. Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing (full clothing exemption, no threshold). Restaurant meals taxed at the higher 9% rate.
The Formula
Percentage Add-On
Rate is the tax or tip percentage applied to the amount
Worked Example
$100 spent in Vermont at the 6.36% combined rate adds $6.36 tax, for a total of $106.36. Vermont's 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in select cities means most populated areas run at 6% or 7%. Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing in full (no threshold), and maintains a separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax on lodging and restaurants. Burlington is the largest city; the state's economy leans on dairy (cheddar, Cabot, Ben & Jerry's), maple syrup (largest U.S. producer), and ski tourism (Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush). Cross-border shoppers from New York take advantage of Vermont's no-cap clothing exemption against the New York $110-per-item threshold. Vermont has a 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in some cities, putting most populated areas at 6–7%. A separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax applies to lodging and restaurants. Vermont's clothing exemption mirrors NJ, NH, MN, PA. Cross-border shopping from NY common given NY's $110-per-item cap.
Key Insight
Vermont's clothing exemption mirrors NJ, NH, MN, PA. Cross-border shopping from NY common given NY's $110-per-item cap. The 6% Vermont state rate gets layered with local jurisdictions to reach the 6.36% Tax Foundation combined figure — useful as a ballpark for Vermont shoppers and a sanity check for Vermont-bound sellers, but a multi-jurisdiction online retailer with Vermont nexus needs the destination-specific rate per ZIP (via Avalara, TaxJar, Stripe Tax). Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing (full clothing exemption, no threshold). Restaurant meals taxed at the higher 9% rate.
Why the 'combined' rate matters
U.S. sales tax is layered: a state statutory rate plus local add-ons (county, city, special districts). For Vermont, the Tax Foundation publishes a single 'combined' figure by population-weighting all local rates — 6.36% as of January 2026.
This number is useful as a ballpark for consumer-side checkout estimation and statewide comparison, but it is NOT the rate you'd see at a specific store. Two stores in the same state, five miles apart, can have different combined rates because of district-level add-ons.
Wayfair (2018) and the destination-based rate
Before 2018, online sellers only collected sales tax in states where they had physical presence. South Dakota v. Wayfair changed that: a seller exceeding economic-nexus thresholds (typically $100k in sales or 200 transactions per state per year) must collect destination-based sales tax on shipments to that state.
Practical consequence for Vermont: if you buy online from an out-of-state seller above the nexus threshold, they should charge YOUR Vermont combined local rate, not theirs. If you're a seller, sales-tax automation (Avalara, TaxJar, Stripe Tax) handles the per-customer destination lookup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Vermont sales tax set at the state and local layers?
The combined state + average local rate for Vermont is 6.36% in 2026 (Tax Foundation). Vermont has a 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in some cities, putting most populated areas at 6–7%. A separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax applies to lodging and restaurants.
This rate is off from the one charged at a Vermont store — why?
Because this is a Vermont-statewide population-weighted average. Your actual rate is the 6% state portion plus your specific Vermont city, county, and special-district add-ons. — typically runs above the state average; — below. For exact-rate compliance, use the Vermont Department of Revenue's destination-based rate lookup.
How does Vermont treat groceries, medicine, and clothes?
Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing (full clothing exemption, no threshold). Restaurant meals taxed at the higher 9% rate.
Is sales tax on Amazon or Etsy orders to Vermont different?
Under South Dakota v. Wayfair (2018), sellers above an economic-nexus threshold must collect destination-based sales tax. If you're in Vermont, an out-of-state seller above the threshold applies your Vermont combined local rate at checkout, not their home-state rate. Vermont's clothing exemption mirrors NJ, NH, MN, PA. Cross-border shopping from NY common given NY's $110-per-item cap.
How does Vermont enforce use tax on online purchases?
Vermont's clothing exemption mirrors NJ, NH, MN, PA. Cross-border shopping from NY common given NY's $110-per-item cap.
What edge cases break this Vermont sales-tax estimate?
When the actual Vermont transaction's local rate differs materially from the state population-weighted average — common in — where district add-ons push the rate higher, or in — where it's lower. Also unreliable for Vermont category exemptions (this calculator uses the general retail rate, not reduced/exempt category rates) and for cross-border online sales where the destination's rate applies. For compliance-grade Vermont calculation, use a sales-tax automation tool (Avalara, TaxJar, Stripe Tax) or the Vermont DOR's destination lookup.
References & Authoritative Sources
- Tax Foundation — State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 · consulted January 1, 2026 · Combined state + population-weighted average local rate as of January 1 2026. Source dataset behind the calculator's default rate.
- U.S. Government Accountability Office — Sales Taxes: Economic Considerations and Recent Trends · consulted June 1, 2026 · Federal-level reference on the economic incidence and post-Wayfair compliance landscape of state sales taxes.
- Vermont Department of Revenue — Vermont Sales and Use Tax — Rate Lookup · consulted June 1, 2026 · State Department of Revenue is the authority for the exact destination-based rate; this calculator is an estimate.
Related Calculators
Data Sources & Benchmarks
This calculator draws on 1 independent, dated source. The starting values for vermont combined sales-tax rate are taken from the benchmarks below and refresh whenever the snapshots are updated.
Methodology & Review
Vermont sales-tax estimator using the Tax Foundation's 2026 combined state+local figure of 6.36%. Vermont's 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in select cities means most populated areas run at 6% or 7%. Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing in full (no threshold), and maintains a separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax on lodging and restaurants. Burlington is the largest city; the state's economy leans on dairy (cheddar, Cabot, Ben & Jerry's), maple syrup (largest U.S. producer), and ski tourism (Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush). Cross-border shoppers from New York take advantage of Vermont's no-cap clothing exemption against the New York $110-per-item threshold. Vermont has a 6% state rate plus optional 1% local-option in some cities, putting most populated areas at 6–7%. A separate 9% rooms-and-meals tax applies to lodging and restaurants. The calculator multiplies the purchase by the combined rate to return tax dollars and total. Vermont exempts groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing (full clothing exemption, no threshold). Restaurant meals taxed at the higher 9% rate. RELIABILITY: Reliable as a Vermont-average for ballpark estimation and consumer-side checkout. Less reliable for (a) exact destination-based rates where — runs above the state average and — runs below; (b) reduced-rate or exempt categories under Vermont rules; (c) cross-border online sales where Wayfair (2018) redirects to the destination rate. For compliance-grade calculation, use the Vermont Department of Revenue's ZIP-based lookup or a tax-automation platform (Avalara, TaxJar, Stripe Tax).
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