Philadelphia County · Pennsylvania
Philadelphia sales tax rate (PA)
Pennsylvania exempts clothing and most groceries statewide, so Philadelphia's 8% applies to a narrower base than headline rates elsewhere.
Quick answer
The combined sales tax rate in Philadelphia, PA is 8% as of January 1, 2026 — 6% state + 2% county. On a $100 purchase that is $8 in tax, for a total of $108. Pennsylvania's statewide base is 6%.
- Combined rate
- 8%
- State share
- 6%
- Local share
- 2%County + city + districts
- Tax on $100
- $8
Calculate Philadelphia sales tax
Pre-filled with the Philadelphia combined rate.
Sales tax calculator
The full combined rate of 8% applies to general merchandise.
Enter a pre-tax amount to see the tax due in Philadelphia, PA.
- Pre-tax
- $100
- Sales tax at 8%
- $8
- Total
- $108
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 8% high?
Where Philadelphia sits against the state and the covered-metro median, in points and in dollars.
- vs covered median
- +0.05 ptsMedian 7.95%
- Local share
- 25%2% of the total
- Cost per household
- $2,080Per year on $26,000 taxable spend
- Jurisdiction layers
- 2Stacked into the combined rate
8% in Philadelphia — ordinary. It ranks 46 of 94 covered metros, +0.05 pts against the 7.95% median. On $26,000 of taxable household spending that is $2,080 a year, $13 above it.
Local government sets 2% of the total, 25% of the bill; the state takes 6%. 2 layers stack: Pennsylvania state 6%, City and County of Philadelphia 2%. The City and County of Philadelphia increment at 2% is the largest local piece — 100% of everything local, worth $520 a year on its own.
1 of 2 covered Pennsylvania metros, +0.5 pts from the 7.5% state median. The in-state spread runs 7% in Pittsburgh to 8% in Philadelphia — 1 points wide. Buying a $35,000 vehicle in Pittsburgh instead of Philadelphia saves $350, though Pennsylvania normally taxes vehicles where they are registered.
Same bracket nationally: Aurora, CO (8%); Cleveland, OH (8%); Jackson, MS (8%). A household relocating between Philadelphia and any of them sees no meaningful change in sales tax.
Scale: 1,550,542 residents, roughly 620,217 households. At $26,000 of taxable spend each, the 2% local share pulls about $322,512,840 a year from residents alone — before any visitor or business spending, which in a metro this size is where the rest comes from.
Pennsylvania exempts clothing and most groceries statewide, so Philadelphia's 8% applies to a narrower base than headline rates elsewhere.
Rates move when a district measure passes or a local option expires. Confirm the current figure with the Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania state | state | 6% | 75% |
| City and County of Philadelphia | county | 2% | 25% |
| Combined rate | 8% |
Philadelphia sales tax reference table
Tax due at 8% on common purchase amounts.
| Purchase | Sales tax | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.80 | $10.80 |
| $25 | $2.00 | $27.00 |
| $50 | $4.00 | $54.00 |
| $100 | $8.00 | $108.00 |
| $500 | $40.00 | $540.00 |
| $1,000 | $80.00 | $1080.00 |
| $5,000 | $400.00 | $5400.00 |
| $25,000 | $2000.00 | $27000.00 |
Reverse out sales tax
Enter a receipt total and we split the item price from the 8% tax collected.
Backing out 8% for Philadelphia, PA.
- Item price before tax
- $100
- Sales tax collected
- $8
What this rate applies to
Pennsylvania publishes the taxable base separately from the rate. Groceries, prescription drugs, clothing and services are treated differently state to state, and several categories in Pennsylvania are taxed at reduced rates or exempt entirely. Pennsylvania exempts clothing and most groceries statewide, so Philadelphia's 8% applies to a narrower base than headline rates elsewhere. Check the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue guidance for the category you are pricing before assuming 8% applies.
Philadelphia at a glance
- Population
- 1,550,542
- Median household income
- $60,302
- County
- Philadelphia County
- ZIP codes covered
- 12
Compare with other Pennsylvania cities
Other covered Pennsylvania metros and how they compare.
Neighboring districts tax profiles
The closest covered jurisdictions by county and ZIP sectional centre, with the rate difference against this metro.
Compare Philadelphia with another metro
Side-by-side rate stacks and the dollar difference on a $1,000 purchase.
Cities near Philadelphia
Straight-line distance, estimated drive time and the rate charged there.
Download this metro's data
The Philadelphia jurisdiction stack, combined rate (8%), effective date and Census figures are published as open files. Free to use with attribution — no key, no signup.
More Philadelphia data
Other Philadelphia datasets on this site.
- Philadelphia population and income
- Philadelphia property tax
- Philadelphia cost of living
- Philadelphia home values and rent
- Philadelphia crime rates
- Philadelphia public schools
- Philadelphia weather normals
- Philadelphia commute times
- Philadelphia jobs and wages
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