Is it taxable?

Sales tax isn't just a rate — it's a thousand little rules about what counts. Candy is taxed where flour-free, groceries aren't; a hot coffee is taxed where a cold bottle of it isn't. One page per item, every state in one table, each row checked against that state's own guidance.

Buying online instead? Whether the delivery charge is taxed is its own 50-state mess — see is shipping taxable?


These are the everyday rules, not the holiday ones. During a sales tax holiday, items that are normally taxable — clothing above all — go tax-free for a weekend in about twenty states.