What is the combined sales tax rate in Atlanta?

Most of the City of Atlanta inside Fulton County carries an 8.9% combined rate. That is Georgia's 4% state tax plus Fulton County and City of Atlanta local-option, MARTA, and education sales taxes. The rate can differ slightly in the DeKalb County portion of the city.

Are groceries taxed in Atlanta?

Unprepared food bought for home consumption is exempt from Georgia's 4% state portion, but local sales taxes still apply. So groceries in Atlanta are taxed at the combined rate minus the state 4%, roughly 4.9%. Prepared and restaurant food is fully taxable.

Does this include prepared food or restaurant tax?

Restaurant meals and prepared foods are treated as general taxable merchandise and carry the full 8.9% combined rate. Some venues add separate hospitality fees that are not sales tax and are not included here.

Why does the rate vary across the city?

Atlanta spans both Fulton and DeKalb counties, and each county sets its own local-option and special-purpose sales taxes. The widely cited figure is 8.9% for the Fulton portion; verify your exact ZIP if you need penny accuracy.

Is sales tax charged on the full price including shipping?

In Georgia, shipping and handling charges are generally taxable when the items being shipped are taxable. Enter the full taxable amount including any taxable shipping to get an accurate total.

Atlanta Combined Sales Tax Calculator

This calculator works out the full sales tax you pay on a purchase in the City of Atlanta. It combines Georgia’s statewide rate with the Fulton County and City of Atlanta local sales taxes, and it handles the grocery exemption that removes the state portion from unprepared food.

How it works

The combined Atlanta sales tax of 8.9% is built from several layers:

state (Georgia)            = 4.0%
local option + MARTA + ed  = 4.9%
combined                   = 8.9%

For general merchandise the full combined rate applies:

tax   = amount × 0.089
total = amount + tax

Unprepared groceries are exempt from the 4% state portion but still owe the local taxes, so they are taxed at roughly 4.9%:

grocery tax = amount × 0.049

Example and notes

A 100.00 dollar general purchase incurs 8.90 in tax for a 108.90 total. The same 100.00 spent on home groceries owes only about 4.90, because the state 4% is waived. Atlanta crosses a county line, so the exact rate can shift by a few tenths of a percent in the DeKalb portion; the figures here use the common 8.9% Fulton rate. Prepared meals and restaurant food are fully taxable, not treated as exempt groceries.