What is the sales tax rate in Vermont?

Vermont's statewide sales and use tax is 6%. Some municipalities also impose a 1% local option sales tax, which raises the combined rate to 7% in those towns. Towns without the local option charge only the 6% state rate.

Which Vermont towns have the 1% local option tax?

Local option towns include Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, Rutland Town, Brattleboro, Montpelier, Stowe, Killington, Manchester, Middlebury, and Colchester, among others. In these places the combined sales tax is 7%. The list changes occasionally, so verify your town with the Vermont Department of Taxes.

Are groceries and clothing taxed in Vermont?

No. Vermont exempts grocery food for home consumption, clothing, and prescription and most over-the-counter medicine from sales tax. This calculator applies zero tax to those item types so your estimate reflects the exemption.

How are restaurant meals taxed in Vermont?

Prepared food and restaurant meals are not subject to the 6% sales tax. Instead they fall under Vermont's separate 9% Meals and Rooms tax, with a 10% rate on alcoholic beverages served. This tool flags prepared food and does not apply sales tax to it.

How does the remove-tax mode work?

Remove mode treats your entered amount as a tax-included total and divides it by one plus the combined rate to recover the pre-tax price. The difference is the total tax, which it splits between the 6% state portion and any 1% local option portion.

Vermont Sales Tax Calculator (6% + Local Option)

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Vermont charges a 6% statewide sales tax, and a handful of towns add a 1% local option tax for a 7% combined rate. The state also exempts everyday essentials — groceries, clothing, and medicine — and taxes restaurant meals under a separate Meals & Rooms tax. This calculator applies all of those rules so your estimate is accurate for the actual item and location.

How it works

In add mode the tool multiplies your pre-tax price by the combined rate:

Combined rate = 6% state + (0% or 1% local option) Tax = Pre-tax × Combined rate Total = Pre-tax + Tax

In remove mode it backs the pre-tax price out of a tax-included total:

Pre-tax = Total ÷ (1 + Combined rate)

If you choose an exempt item type (groceries, clothing, medicine), the rate drops to 0% and no tax is applied.

Vermont rules that matter

State rate — 6% on most tangible goods.
Local option — 1% in towns that adopt it (Burlington, Stowe, Killington, and more), giving a 7% combined rate.
Exempt — groceries, clothing, prescription and OTC medicine. These carry no Vermont sales tax.
Prepared food and lodging are taxed under the separate 9% Meals & Rooms tax, not the 6% sales tax.

Worked example

A $100 general-goods purchase in Burlington (1% local option):

Combined rate = 6% + 1% = 7%
Tax = 100 × 0.07 = $7.00
Total = $107.00

The same $100 spent on clothing anywhere in Vermont is exempt, so the total stays $100.00.

Note: Local option towns change over time and prepared food is taxed separately at 9%. Verify your exact rate and any exemptions at tax.vermont.gov.