Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sales Tax Calculator
Philadelphia has a combined sales tax rate of 8.000% — meaningfully higher than the Pennsylvania statewide average of 6.34%. Philadelphia layers 2% local on top of the 6% Pennsylvania base. Most clothing and groceries are exempt statewide.
Sales tax in Philadelphia
The 8.000% you pay at a Philadelphia register is made up of 6.00% state tax plus roughly 2.000% in local taxes — a combination of county, city, and special-district levies. Philadelphia layers 2% local on top of the 6% Pennsylvania base. Most clothing and groceries are exempt statewide.
That's higher than the Pennsylvania average of 6.34%. Most large Pennsylvania cities run above the state average because urban areas tend to layer transit taxes, special improvement districts, and arena/stadium taxes on top of the state and county base.
Pennsylvania exempts both groceries and most clothing from sales tax — those exemptions apply in Philadelphia too. Prepared food and restaurant meals, however, are generally fully taxable.
For exact tax on a transaction at a specific Philadelphia address, use the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's lookup or a tool like Avalara. Rates can vary block-by-block when special tax districts cover part of the city.