What is the sales tax rate in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island charges a flat statewide sales tax of 7%. Unlike most states, Rhode Island does not allow counties or cities to add local sales taxes, so the rate is exactly 7% everywhere from Providence to Newport.

Are groceries taxed in Rhode Island?

No. Most unprepared food and grocery items are exempt from Rhode Island sales tax. Prepared meals, restaurant food, and candy or soft drinks can be taxable, and a separate 1% local meals-and-beverage tax applies to restaurant meals.

Is clothing taxed in Rhode Island?

Clothing and footwear are exempt up to $250 per item. For an item that costs more than $250, only the amount above $250 is taxed at 7%. This calculator applies the $250 exemption threshold automatically when you choose the clothing category.

Does Rhode Island tax prescription drugs?

No. Prescription medicines, most over-the-counter drugs sold with a prescription, and durable medical equipment are exempt from Rhode Island sales tax. Choose the medicine category to zero out the tax.

Are there local sales taxes in Rhode Island?

No general local sales taxes exist in Rhode Island, so the rate stays 7% statewide. The main exception is a 1% local meals-and-beverage tax on prepared food and a 1% hotel tax, which apply on top of the 7% state rate for those specific purchases.

Rhode Island Sales Tax Calculator

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Rhode Island keeps sales tax simple: a single statewide rate of 7 percent with no county or city add-ons. This calculator applies that flat rate, handles the common exemptions for groceries, clothing under 250 dollars, and prescription medicine, and can also work backwards from a tax-included total.

How it works

Rhode Island imposes one of the higher flat state sales tax rates in the country at 7 percent. Because the state does not permit local sales taxes, the rate is identical in every city and town, so there is no need to pick a county.

For a standard taxable purchase the math is:

tax   = price × 0.07
total = price + tax

In reverse mode the tool recovers the pre-tax price from a tax-included total:

pretax = total ÷ 1.07
tax    = total − pretax

Rhode Island exempts several categories. Most unprepared groceries and prescription drugs are fully exempt. Clothing and footwear are exempt up to 250 dollars per item, so only the portion of an item’s price above 250 dollars is taxed at 7 percent.

Example

A 400 dollar coat is treated as clothing. The first 250 dollars is exempt and the remaining 150 dollars is taxed at 7 percent, giving 10.50 dollars of tax for a total of 410.50 dollars. A standard 100 dollar electronics purchase is taxed in full: 7 dollars tax for a 107 dollar total.

Notes

This tool covers the 7 percent general sales tax only. Rhode Island also levies a separate 1 percent local meals-and-beverage tax on prepared restaurant food and a 5 percent or 13 percent hotel tax depending on the booking channel, which are not modeled here. Estimate only — confirm exemptions against the Rhode Island Division of Taxation at tax.ri.gov.