What is Washington DC's sales tax rate?

The general sales tax rate in Washington DC is 6%. DC is a single jurisdiction with no separate county or city add-on, so the standard rate applies citywide to most taxable goods.

Does DC have a county sales tax?

No. Washington DC is a federal district, not a state with counties, so there is no county-level sales tax. The 6% rate is the District's flat general rate on most retail goods.

Are groceries taxed in Washington DC?

Most unprepared grocery food is exempt from DC sales tax. Restaurant meals, prepared food, and soft drinks are taxed at a higher rate, so use the grocery toggle to model exempt purchases.

Why might my receipt show a higher rate?

DC charges special rates above 6% on certain categories — for example 10% on restaurant meals and alcohol for off-premises consumption, and higher rates on hotels and parking. Override the rate field for those.

How is the total calculated?

The tool multiplies your amount by the rate to get the tax, then adds it back to your amount for the grand total. Exempt items show zero tax and a total equal to the price.

Washington DC Combined Sales Tax Calculator

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Calculate Washington DC sales tax

Washington DC charges a general sales tax of 6% on most taxable goods. Because DC is a single federal district rather than a state with counties, there is no county or city add-on — the 6% rate applies across the District. This calculator turns any pre-tax price into the tax owed and the final total.

How it works

The rate is applied to the taxable amount, and exempt items (like qualifying groceries) are zeroed out:

taxable amount = exempt ? 0 : purchase amount
tax            = taxable amount * (rate / 100)
total          = purchase amount + tax

The default is DC’s 6% general rate. DC also applies special higher rates to specific categories — restaurant meals and alcohol (10%), hotel rooms, and commercial parking — so the rate field is editable for those purchases.

Tips and example

A 100 purchase at 6% incurs 6.00 in tax for a 106.00 total. Toggle the grocery exemption on for a 100 unprepared-food purchase and the tax drops to 0, keeping the total at 100. For a restaurant meal, change the rate to 10% to see 10.00 in tax.

When in doubt about which rate applies, check the DC Office of Tax and Revenue category list and enter the matching rate.