Polk County · Iowa
Des Moines sales tax rate (IA)
Iowa's local option tax is adopted city by city; the Des Moines metro passed a coordinated 1% LOST that applies across most of Polk County.
Quick answer
The combined sales tax rate in Des Moines, IA is 7% as of January 1, 2026 — 6% state + 1% city. On a $100 purchase that is $7 in tax, for a total of $107. Iowa's statewide base is 6%.
- Combined rate
- 7%
- State share
- 6%
- Local share
- 1%County + city + districts
- Tax on $100
- $7
Calculate Des Moines sales tax
Pre-filled with the Des Moines combined rate.
Sales tax calculator
The full combined rate of 7% applies to general merchandise.
Enter a pre-tax amount to see the tax due in Des Moines, IA.
- Pre-tax
- $100
- Sales tax at 7%
- $7
- Total
- $107
Tax is rounded to the nearest cent on the full transaction, which is how most registers compute it. Line-item rounding can differ by a cent or two on long receipts.
Is 7% high?
Where Des Moines sits against the state and the covered-metro median, in points and in dollars.
- vs covered median
- -0.95 ptsMedian 7.95%
- Local share
- 14%1% of the total
- Cost per household
- $1,820Per year on $26,000 taxable spend
- Jurisdiction layers
- 2Stacked into the combined rate
7% in Des Moines — low. It ranks 66 of 94 covered metros, -0.95 pts against the 7.95% median. On $26,000 of taxable household spending that is $1,820 a year, $247 below it.
Local government sets 1% of the total, 14% of the bill; the state takes 6%. 2 layers stack: Iowa state 6%, Local option sales tax (LOST) 1%. The Local option sales tax (LOST) increment at 1% is the largest local piece — 100% of everything local, worth $260 a year on its own.
Same bracket nationally: St. Petersburg, FL (7%); Miami, FL (7%); Indianapolis, IN (7%). A household relocating between Des Moines and any of them sees no meaningful change in sales tax.
Scale: 210,381 residents, roughly 84,152 households. At $26,000 of taxable spend each, the 1% local share pulls about $21,879,520 a year from residents alone — before any visitor or business spending, which in a metro this size is where the rest comes from.
Iowa's local option tax is adopted city by city; the Des Moines metro passed a coordinated 1% LOST that applies across most of Polk County.
Rates move when a district measure passes or a local option expires. Confirm the current figure with the Iowa Department of Revenue before filing or quoting it to a customer.
Jurisdiction breakdown
Every layer that makes up the combined rate, and how much of the total each one contributes.
| Jurisdiction | Level | Rate | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa state | state | 6% | 86% |
| Local option sales tax (LOST) | city | 1% | 14% |
| Combined rate | 7% |
Des Moines sales tax reference table
Tax due at 7% on common purchase amounts.
| Purchase | Sales tax | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.70 | $10.70 |
| $25 | $1.75 | $26.75 |
| $50 | $3.50 | $53.50 |
| $100 | $7.00 | $107.00 |
| $500 | $35.00 | $535.00 |
| $1,000 | $70.00 | $1070.00 |
| $5,000 | $350.00 | $5350.00 |
| $25,000 | $1750.00 | $26750.00 |
Reverse out sales tax
Enter a receipt total and we split the item price from the 7% tax collected.
Backing out 7% for Des Moines, IA.
- Item price before tax
- $100
- Sales tax collected
- $7
What this rate applies to
Iowa publishes the taxable base separately from the rate. Groceries, prescription drugs, clothing and services are treated differently state to state, and several categories in Iowa are taxed at reduced rates or exempt entirely. Iowa's local option tax is adopted city by city; the Des Moines metro passed a coordinated 1% LOST that applies across most of Polk County. Check the Iowa Department of Revenue guidance for the category you are pricing before assuming 7% applies.
Des Moines at a glance
- Population
- 210,381
- Median household income
- $62,191
- County
- Polk County
- ZIP codes covered
- 10
Neighboring districts tax profiles
The closest covered jurisdictions by county and ZIP sectional centre, with the rate difference against this metro.
Compare Des Moines with another metro
Side-by-side rate stacks and the dollar difference on a $1,000 purchase.
Cities near Des Moines
Straight-line distance, estimated drive time and the rate charged there.
Download this metro's data
The Des Moines jurisdiction stack, combined rate (7%), effective date and Census figures are published as open files. Free to use with attribution — no key, no signup.
More Des Moines data
Other Des Moines datasets on this site.
- Des Moines population and income
- Des Moines property tax
- Des Moines cost of living
- Des Moines home values and rent
- Des Moines crime rates
- Des Moines public schools
- Des Moines weather normals
- Des Moines commute times
- Des Moines jobs and wages
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