Iowa sales tax
At a glance
| State sales tax | 6 % |
|---|---|
| Local taxes | Cities, counties or districts add their own tax, so the total depends on the place. Summalo has local rates for this state. |
Average combined rate
6.99 % (state 6 % plus about 0.99 % local). Rank 25 of 51, highest first.
Example
An item with a $100 tag costs about $106.99 at the average combined rate (tax $6.99). At the lowest local rate in the state it would be $106.00, at the highest $107.00.
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 | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Candy | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Soft drinks | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Alcohol | Taxed at the regular rate |
| Over-the-counter medicine | Taxed at the regular rate * |
* Depends on details a price tag does not show (hot or cold, packaging, local options). Treat it as an estimate.
Tax-free days
Dates change every year; the app shows the next one.
- Sales tax holiday, Aug 7–8, 2026
Clothing and footwear (not athletic or protective-use items) - Sales tax holiday, Aug 6–7, 2027
Clothing and footwear (not athletic or protective-use items)
Neighbouring states
| State | Average rate |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 8.04 % |
| Minnesota | 7.71 % |
| Missouri | 7.84 % |
| Nebraska | 6.35 % |
| South Dakota | 5.57 % |
| Wisconsin | 5.59 % |
Official sources
- revenue.iowa.gov/taxes/tax-guidance/sales-use-excise-tax/iowa-sales-tax-food
- www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/423.3.pdf
- revenue.iowa.gov/taxes/tax-guidance/sales-use-excise-tax/iowas-annual-sales-tax-holiday
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.