COMPARISON OF TAX RATES IN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon don’t charge sales tax when you purchase a motor vehicle. So, if you really want to avoid car sales tax, you might consider moving to one of these states. All vehicles registered in Massachusetts are required to undergo a yearly inspection.

This often leads to shocking results for the unsuspecting taxpayer during an audit. Please visit our resource pages for more detailed information and to help you evaluate critical decisions during your Massachusetts sales and use tax audit. Additionally, business that do not have a physical presence in Massachusetts, can establish economic nexus by exceeding a certain annual sales threshold in the state.

Tax threshold:

Up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed by the federal government if your total income is more than $34,000 individually or $44,000 as a couple. Sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sale of certain goods and services. First enacted in the United States in 1921, sales tax dates back to ancient Egyptian times where paintings depict the collection of tax on commodities. Massachusetts first adopted a general state transaction privilege tax in 1966. The combined tax rate is the total sales tax rate of the jurisdiction for the address you submitted.

A special sales tax on alcoholic beverages was repealed in 2010. Massachusetts doesn’t apply sales tax to any shipping costs, as long as the shipping costs are clearly listed and separated from the price of the item you’re selling. Be sure to always mark the cost of the product and the cost of the shipping on two different lines of the bill. These excise taxes are paid by the vendor, but some or all may be included in the retail price.

What is the local sales tax rate in Massachusetts?

TaxTools also integrates smoothly with all eCommerce platforms, so no matter how you reach your customers, this software can help streamline your sales tax tracking and filing procedures. Massachusetts implemented a series of economic nexus laws that went into effect on October 1, 2019. Remote sellers are required to collect and remit sales taxes if they exceed $100,000 in revenue within Massachusetts in a calendar year.

For example, let’s say you trade in your previous car and receive a $6,000 credit. The new car you are purchasing costs $20,000, but you will only pay $14,000 due to the credit of your trade-in. In Massachusetts, massachusetts income tax you will not be taxed on the credit received for a trade-in. So, using the example above, you would only be taxed on the $14,000 you pay out-of-pocket for the new car rather than the car’s value of $20,000.

What amounts can be deducted to the car’s value when computing its excise tax?

If a sales tax rate of less than 6.25% is paid to the other state, the Massachusetts use tax is the difference between the 2 states’ sales tax rates. The Massachusetts sales tax is 6.25% of the sales price or rental charge of tangible personal property and telecommunications services1 sold or rented in Massachusetts. The buyer pays the sales tax, as an addition to the purchase price, to the vendor at the time of purchase. Most food sold in grocery stores is exempt from sales tax entirely. Clothing purchases, including shoes, jackets and even costumes, are exempt up to $175. A product that costs more than $175 is taxable above that amount, so a $200 pair of shoes would be taxed at 6.25% on the $25 above the exemption limit.

Vendors can confirm the validity of their customers’ sales and use tax registration and resale certificates online through MassTaxConnect. Tax-exempt organizations that sell tangible personal property or telecommunications services in the regular course of business are also considered vendors and required to collect sales/use tax. If you sell physical products or certain types of services, you may need to collect sales tax.

Sales Tax rates by states

Next, from AGI we subtract exemptions and deductions to get your taxable income. Exemptions can be claimed for each taxpayer as well as dependents such as one’s spouse or children. There is never a situation where you earn money from a sale and you do not incur a tax burden for it. If you are paid money for the sale of artwork you owe sales tax on that sale. Even though most companies want to quickly learn what is the current sales tax in Massachusetts, it is worth checking if the goods or services sold are taxable. Along the way, or even after one the critical notices are issued, there is the possibility tosettle your Massachusetts sales tax case by negotiating with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

• If you cannot resolve the Massachusetts sales and use tax dispute through the protest / appeal process, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue will issue a decision on the appeal.
• Our sales tax table generator can be used to make a custom sales tax tax table, which you can print for easy reference.
• The Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles is way ahead of you.
• This calculator estimates the average tax rate as the state income tax liability divided by the total gross income.
• If you don’t know the rate, download the free lookup tool on this page to find the right combined Massachusetts state and local rate.
• See 830 CMR 64H.6.11 for more information on the qualifying small business energy exemption.