Ohio Sales Tax Calculator
Compute Ohio sales tax for any county in 2025. Add tax to a pre-tax price or strip it from a total.
🔴 What is Ohio Sales Tax?
Ohio sales tax is a transaction tax collected by retailers at the point of sale on most tangible personal property and certain enumerated services. It is administered by the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) and has two components: a statewide base rate of 5.75% and a county-level permissive tax that each of Ohio's 88 counties may impose on top of the state rate. Combined rates across Ohio range from 6.5% in Stark County (Canton) to 8.0% in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), Lorain County, and Lake County.
Ohio's county permissive tax system means the effective rate depends entirely on where the purchase occurs. Cuyahoga County, home to Cleveland and its suburbs such as Parma, Lakewood, and Shaker Heights, levies the maximum allowable county rate of 2.25%, resulting in the 8.0% statewide high. By contrast, Stark County, which includes Canton and Massillon, levies only a 0.75% county tax, yielding a comparatively low 6.5% combined rate. The difference can produce meaningful savings on large purchases: a $10,000 purchase at 6.5% costs $150 less in tax than the same purchase at 8.0%.
This calculator is useful in many everyday situations. As a shopper in Columbus preparing to buy a $1,000 laptop, you want to know the checkout total before you reach the register. As a small business owner in Cincinnati, you need to collect the correct 7.8% Hamilton County rate and remit it quarterly to the Ohio Department of Taxation. As an accountant reconciling travel expenses, you need to reverse-calculate the pre-tax base from receipts that show only a tax-inclusive total. As a consumer comparison-shopping across the Columbus and Cleveland metro areas, you may prefer purchasing a high-value item in a lower-rate county.
A frequent misconception is that Ohio has a uniform sales tax rate. Ohio exempts groceries intended for home preparation entirely from the sales tax, making food purchases affordable across the state regardless of county. Prescription drugs are similarly exempt. Prepared restaurant meals, however, are fully taxable at the local combined rate. Another common source of confusion is the use tax, which Ohio requires residents to pay on purchases made out of state when the seller does not collect Ohio sales tax — this is essentially the consumer's equivalent of the sales tax.
📐 Formula
📖 How to Use This Calculator
Steps
💡 Example Calculations
Example 1: Electronics Purchase in Columbus
$899 laptop purchased in Columbus at 7.5% combined rate (Franklin County)
Example 2: Restaurant Receipt in Cleveland
$86.40 tax-inclusive dinner bill in Cleveland at 8.0% combined rate (Cuyahoga County)
Example 3: Furniture Purchase — Canton vs. Cleveland
$2,500 sofa: comparing Canton (6.5%) vs. Cleveland (8.0%)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🔗 Related Calculators
What is the Ohio state sales tax rate in 2025?
Ohio's statewide base rate is 5.75%. Each of Ohio's 88 counties can add a permissive county sales tax of up to 3%. Combined rates across Ohio range from 6.5% in Stark County to 8.0% in Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Lake counties. Most major Ohio cities fall between 7% and 8%.
How do I calculate Ohio sales tax?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the combined rate divided by 100. For a $100 item in Columbus (7.5%): Tax = $100 x 0.075 = $7.50, Total = $107.50. The formula is Tax = Price x (Rate / 100). This calculator handles the arithmetic instantly for any Ohio county.
How do I remove Ohio sales tax from a total price?
Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + Rate/100). For a $107.50 total at 7.5%: Pre-tax = $107.50 / 1.075 = $100.00. The Remove Tax mode does this automatically and is useful for bookkeeping and expense reimbursement.
Are groceries taxable in Ohio?
No. Food sold for off-premises consumption (i.e., groceries intended for home preparation) is exempt from Ohio sales tax. This exemption does not apply to prepared foods sold for immediate consumption, such as restaurant meals, food from hot deli bars, or beverages served at a food service establishment.
What is the sales tax rate in Columbus in 2025?
Columbus is in Franklin County, which imposes a 1.75% county permissive tax on top of Ohio's 5.75% state base, for a combined rate of 7.5% in 2025. Franklin County is Ohio's most populous county and home to the state capital.
What is the sales tax rate in Cleveland in 2025?
Cleveland is in Cuyahoga County, which has one of the highest county taxes in Ohio at 2.25%. The combined rate for Cleveland and most of Cuyahoga County is 8.0% in 2025, the highest combined rate among Ohio's major cities.
Why do different Ohio counties have different sales tax rates?
Ohio law allows each of its 88 counties to levy a permissive sales tax of up to 3% on top of the state's 5.75% base rate. County commissioners can impose these taxes to fund local services such as transportation, criminal justice, children's services, and economic development. Because each county decides independently, combined rates vary from 6.5% to 8.0% across the state.
Are prescription drugs exempt from Ohio sales tax?
Yes. Prescription drugs are fully exempt from Ohio sales tax at both the state and county levels. Over-the-counter medications sold without a prescription are generally taxable at the full combined rate. Medical equipment and prosthetic devices prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional are also typically exempt.
Is there sales tax on cars in Ohio?
Yes. Vehicle purchases in Ohio are subject to a combined sales tax consisting of the 5.75% state rate plus the applicable county permissive tax. The tax is typically based on the county where the buyer registers the vehicle. Ohio also assesses title, registration, and a county motor vehicle license fee separately. Contact your county title office for the exact combined rate on vehicle purchases.
Does Ohio have a sales tax holiday?
Ohio does not currently have a permanent annual sales tax holiday. Previous years have seen limited temporary holidays, but these are not guaranteed each year. Check the Ohio Department of Taxation website for announcements about any temporary sales tax exemption periods for the current year.
What is the sales tax rate in Cincinnati in 2025?
Cincinnati is in Hamilton County, which levies a 2.05% county permissive tax. The combined sales tax rate in Cincinnati is 7.8% in 2025. Hamilton County is Ohio's third-most-populous county and borders Kentucky directly across the Ohio River.
Does Ohio charge sales tax on services?
Ohio sales tax applies to sales of tangible personal property and certain enumerated services. Taxable services include landscaping and lawn care, private investigation and security services, and repair of tangible personal property. Most professional services such as legal, medical, and accounting fees are not subject to Ohio sales tax.