Maine Sales Tax Rate
Maine charges one statewide sales tax rate, and its rate table lists no city or county rates. What sets it apart is a higher 8% rate on prepared food and a grocery exemption that is narrower than most states: soft drinks, sandwiches, salads, snack items and bakery items are not "grocery staples", so they are taxed even when bought at a supermarket.
State rate
5.5%
Local add-on
None
Combined
5.5%
Maine Revenue Services publishes one sales and use tax rate table for the whole state and lists no city or county rates. The rates that differ from the general rate are tied to what is sold, not where: prepared food is taxed at 8% and rentals of lodging at 9%.
Work out the tax on a purchase
The calculator applies the state rate. Where local tax applies, add your local rate to get the figure that will appear on the receipt — the official lookup below gives the exact rate for an address.
Total Cost
$105.50
| Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase Price | $100.00 |
| State Tax Rate | 5.500% |
| Sales Tax | $5.50 |
| Total | $105.50 |
Groceries are exempt from sales tax in Maine.
Sales tax
Tax rate
Total cost
State-level base rates only. Many states allow cities and counties to add local sales taxes which are not included here. Check your local rate for exact calculations.
Edit inputs ↑What Maine taxes, and what it doesn't
Groceries and prepared food
Sales of grocery staples, meaning food products ordinarily consumed for human nourishment, are exempt. Prepared food is not: it is taxed at 8%. The statute also takes several foods sold ready to eat out of the exemption, including soft drinks and drink mixes (other than powdered milk, infant formula, coffee and tea), sandwiches and salads, chips and similar snack items, and desserts and bakery items.
Cars
Maine taxes vehicle purchases under the same sales and use tax. The statute separates sales tax collected from automobile dealers licensed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles from sales and use tax collected by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles itself, so the tax is collected by a dealer on a dealer sale and through the BMV otherwise. The rate is the state rate either way.
Lodging and car rentals
Rentals of lodging are taxed at 9%, and short-term auto rentals at a separate, higher rate listed in the same table. Long-term auto rentals are taxed at the state rate.
Use tax on out-of-state purchases
Maine also levies a use tax. Maine Revenue Services lists it in the same rate table, at the same rate as the general sales rate.
Get the exact rate for an address
A statewide figure is a starting point, not a receipt. For the rate that actually applies to a specific address, use the state's own lookup — third-party rate tables disagree with each other and go stale between rate changes.
Maine Revenue Services — Sales and Use Tax Rates & Due Dates
Compare with other states
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine tax groceries?
Mostly not. Grocery staples are exempt, but prepared food is taxed at 8%, and the statute excludes soft drinks, sandwiches and salads, snack items such as chips, and desserts and bakery items from the exemption. A supermarket receipt can therefore show tax on some items in the cart.
How much is sales tax on a car in Maine?
The state rate applies to a vehicle purchase. It is collected by the dealer on a sale by a dealer licensed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles collects sales and use tax on vehicles that are not bought that way.
Do Maine towns add their own sales tax?
The state rate table covers the whole state and lists no city or county rates. Rates other than the general rate depend on the item, for example prepared food and lodging, not on the town.
What is the sales tax on restaurant meals in Maine?
Prepared food is taxed at 8%, higher than the state rate on goods.
Sources
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