District of Columbia sales tax
At a glance
| State sales tax | 6 % |
|---|---|
| Local taxes | No local sales tax. |
Average combined rate
Only the state rate is known here: 6 %. Rank 35 of 51, highest first.
Example
An item with a $100 tag costs $106.00 with 6 % tax.
Clothing and shoes
No special rule: clothing is taxed like most other goods.
Food and drink
| Groceries | Exempt from state tax, and from local tax |
|---|---|
| Prepared food and restaurants | State rate lowered to 10 %, no local tax * |
| Candy | Exempt from state tax, and from local tax * |
| Soft drinks | State rate lowered to 8 %, no local tax * |
| Alcohol | State rate lowered to 10.25 %, no local tax * |
| Over-the-counter medicine | Exempt from state tax, and from local tax |
* Depends on details a price tag does not show (hot or cold, packaging, local options). Treat it as an estimate.
Tax-free days
No regular sales tax holidays.
Neighbouring states
| State | Average rate |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 6 % |
| Virginia | 5.61 % |
Official sources
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-2001
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-2005
- otr.cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/otr/page_content/attachments/2025%20FR800V%20instructions%20v1.0_Final_08232024.pdf
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-2002
- otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/sales-and-use-tax-faqs
- otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/taxable-and-non-taxable-services
Rules as of 2026-10-04. These pages summarise the rules Summalo uses. They are estimates, not tax advice. At the register, the store's receipt is what counts.
Summalo applies these rules to the price tag you scan, offline.