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Resource Center \ Sales Tax by City \ Sales Tax in Houston, Texas in 2024

The combined sales tax rate for Houston, Texas ranges from 6.25%-9.25%. This is your total sales tax rate when you combine the Texas state tax (6.25%), the Houston city sales tax (1.00%), and the special tax (0.00%-2.00%). You don’t pay any county tax in Houston.

We'll walk you through how the sales tax rate is determined for Houston and address some common questions you may have. We'll also cover how to collect, audit, and remit sales tax in Houston.

Plus, we’ll share the best solution that will ensure you are always compliant across the entire sales tax lifecycle.

Disclaimer: Our sales tax data is updated on a quarterly basis.

Houston Sales Tax Rate 2024

Houston is located in Texas, United States. Its minimum sales tax rate is 6.25%, and its maximum sales tax rate is 9.25%. These rates include local and state sales tax rates.

Here is how the Houston sales tax rates breaks down:

County Sales Tax in Houston

Houston overlaps with 4 counties in Texas. But as you can see in the table below, the county sales tax rate is 0.00% in each one.

Sales Tax Rates in Houston by Zip Codes and Districts

Let’s look at the sales tax rates in Houston broken down by zip codes and districts:

How Does the Houston Sales Tax Compare to the Rest of Texas?

The minimum sales tax rate in Houston (6.25%) is also the lowest rate in Texas. It is 4.00% lower than the highest sales tax rate in Texas, which is 10.25% in Paducah.

The maximum sales tax rate in Houston (9.25%) is 3.00% higher than the lowest rate and 1.00% lower than the highest rate.

To give you a better idea, here’s a comparison of Houston sales tax rates with a few other cities in Texas:

You can also compare the sales tax rate of Houston against the Texas cities closest in population size:

• San Antonio's sales tax rate is 8.00%-8.25%
• Dallas's sales tax rate is 8.25%

What Creates Sales Tax Nexus in Houston?

Houston follows the Texas state sales tax law. There are no separate nexus rules specifically for Houston other than the Texas state tax law.

Read More: Check out this detailed guide on Sales Tax in Texas.

Texas state sales tax nexus rules include:

• Economic Nexus: Businesses must pay taxes when they make sales exceeding $500,000 within the state in the previous or current tax year.
• Physical Location: Businesses with physical establishments, such as a warehouse, office, or distribution in the state, have to pay sales tax.
• Employee Location: Companies with employees or any other type of representation in Texas should pay taxes.
• Affiliate Nexus: Out-of-state businesses must pay sales tax when they receive substantial referrals from in-state businesses in Texas.
• Trade Shows: Businesses participating even in a single day of trade show activities can create a sales tax nexus for an entire year following the date of trade show participation.
• Tangible Personal Property: Sales of tangible personal property like equipment, supplies, or IT systems can create a nexus. Tangible personal properties used for a final sale and those that help make a chemical or physical change are exempt from sales taxes.

What Products Are Exempt from Houston Sales Tax?

Texas sales tax law grants certain tax exemptions, which apply to Houston as well. (There are no separate exemptions for Houston taxpayers outside of these.)

• Groceries like eggs, fruits, and vegetables.
• Baby products like diapers, baby food (canned, packaged, etc.), and milk (canned, dry, etc.)
• Feminine hygiene products like tampons and menstrual cups.
• Over-the-counter drugs and medicines that are labeled with a Drug Facts panel as required by the FDA.
• Bakery items, when sold at a grocery and convenience store without utensils or heated.
• Condiments and spices such as ketchup and herbs.
• Dairy products like butter, milk, and milk substitutes (canned and dry).
• Beverages like coffee, water, and fruit and vegetable juices (more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, canned, bottled, or frozen).
• Grains like rice and pasta.
• Meat, poultry, and fish like canned, dried, and deli meats.
• Nutritional supplements like herbal and mineral products and vitamins. The product should either fulfill the criteria for dietary supplements or be labeled with a “Supplement Facts” panel according to the regulations of the FDA.

Who Needs a Sales Tax Permit in Houston?

A sales tax permit or seller's permit is typically issued by states in the United States. You can apply for one in Texas at the Texas Comptroller website. A seller's permit allows you to collect and remit sales tax on your products.

You need one if you:

• Sell tangible personal property in Houston or anywhere in Texas
• Lease or rent tangible personal property in Texas
• Sell taxable services in Texas
• Sell or lease tangible personal property or taxable services to customers in Texas from an out-of-state business and have revenue from Texas of $500,000 or more in the past 12 months

Note: If consumers purchase goods from outside the state but use them within the state, you can collect use tax if they haven’t already paid sales tax.

How to Collect Sales Tax in Houston

Since Texas uses origin-based sales tax sourcing for intrastate sales and destination-based sales tax sourcing for interstate sales, the same applies to Houston as well.

According to Texas sales tax law, here’s how to collect:

• Intrastate Texas sales: A sale is considered intrastate if it ships from an origin in Texas to a buyer's address in Texas.For example, if your business is in Houston, Texas and you make a sale to a buyer in Paducah, Texas, you need to charge the buyer the sales tax rate at your Houston location.

• Interstate Texas sales: A sale is considered interstate if the item ships from outside Texas and the seller isn’t otherwise “engaged in a business” in the state. In such cases, you’d generally charge the sales tax rate at your buyer’s location.For instance, if your business is located in Leander, Idaho, and you sell to a buyer in Houston, Texas, you should charge the buyer the Houston sales tax rate.

Learn more about origin-based and destination-based sales tax sourcing here.

How to File and Pay Sales Tax in Houston

Taxpayers have four options for filing and paying a Houston sales tax return:

• File Texas sales tax return online at the Texas Comptroller eSystems website
• File by Mail using sales tax form 01-117 or 01-114 (short form)
• File by phone to file a “zero sales tax return” if you have no sales tax to report
• Or, you can say goodbye to the tedious paperwork and hello to stress-free sales tax management with Zamp. We help you automate sales tax filings, check your transactions, and manage the nitty-gritty of ongoing compliance without a third-party — wherever you are in the United States!
  • With our white-glove onboarding, rooftop accurate calculations, proactive nexus monitoring, expert tax professional services, and click-to-approve sales tax registrations & filings, we take care of all the sales tax responsibilities for you. You can focus on your business and clients without worrying about the complexities of sales tax. We also ensure that you always stay compliant.

Contents

• Houston Sales Tax Rate 2024
• County Sales Tax in Houston
  • Sales Tax Rates in Houston by Zip Codes and Districts
  • How Does the Houston Sales Tax Compare to the Rest of Texas?
• What Creates Sales Tax Nexus in Houston?
• What Products Are Exempt from Houston Sales Tax?
• Who Needs a Sales Tax Permit in Houston?
• How to Collect Sales Tax in Houston
• How to File and Pay Sales Tax in Houston