North Carolina sales tax
At a glance
| State sales tax | 4.75 % |
|---|---|
| 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
7.02 % (state 4.75 % plus about 2.27 % local). Rank 20 of 51, highest first.
Example
An item with a $100 tag costs about $107.02 at the average combined rate (tax $7.02). At the lowest local rate in the state it would be $106.75, at the highest $108.25.
Clothing and shoes
No special rule: clothing is taxed like most other goods.
Food and drink
| Groceries | State rate lowered to 2 %, no 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
No regular sales tax holidays.
Neighbouring states
| State | Average rate |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 7.91 % |
| South Carolina | 7.52 % |
| Tennessee | 9.59 % |
| Virginia | 5.61 % |
Official sources
- www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/sales-and-use-tax/taxable-items/food-non-qualifying-food-and-prepaid-meal-plans
- www.ncdor.gov/sutb-2026pdf/open
- www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/alcoholic-beverages-tax/frequently-asked-questions-regarding-alcoholic-beverages-excise-tax
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.