Grocery sales tax by state can add to a household’s food bill, but the rules depend on what shoppers buy and where they live. Rates reported for 2024 and 2025 ranged from zero to 7%, with local taxes and credits changing the final cost.
Grocery sales tax by state: rates and changes
A typical family of four in the United States reportedly spends more than $1,100 a month on groceries. Food prices rose about 2.5% in 2024 from the prior year, and in some states sales taxes add another charge at checkout.
The figures below reflect the dates and policy status reported for each state. Some changes took effect in 2025, while other proposals were still awaiting action. They are not a guarantee of the rate a shopper will see today: local rules, later legislation and the type of food can matter.
| State | Rate or change reported | What shoppers should know |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 2% in 2024; eliminated January 1, 2025 | Local jurisdictions may still impose food taxes. |
| Arkansas | 0.125% as of 2025 | A 2024 repeal effort failed. The governor said she would seek repeal again in 2025. |
| Illinois | 1% | The state tax was scheduled for elimination in January 2026. Local jurisdictions may levy their own tax. |
| Virginia | 1% | The tax applies to some groceries, including most cold prepared foods and staples. |
| Missouri | 1.225% | The rate was reported as 3% lower than in 2023. Local taxes may also apply. |
| Utah | 1.75% state rate | Local tax was reported at 1%, with a county rate of 0.25%. A repeal measure did not reach the November 2024 ballot. |
| Alabama | 3% after an early 2024 reduction | A further cut planned for September 2024 was rejected. A September 1, 2025 reduction depended on growth in the Education Trust Fund. |
| Tennessee | 4% | A 2024 repeal bill failed. Lawmakers planned another attempt in 2025. |
| South Dakota | 4.2% | The general sales tax applies to most groceries. The rate was set to continue through at least 2027. |
| Oklahoma | 4.5% before the 2024 change; state grocery tax eliminated in 2024 | Prepared food remains taxable, and municipalities may add tax. |
| Idaho | 6% | A grocery tax credit offsets some of the cost. Local jurisdictions may also tax food. |
| Mississippi | 7% | A bill to reduce the tax over the next decade passed the House in January 2025 and was awaiting Senate consideration. |
Kansas shoppers saw a change from a 2% rate in 2024 to no state food tax beginning January 1, 2025. Oklahoma also removed its state tax on grocery food and ingredients in 2024, though prepared food was still taxed. These changes show why a rate list needs a date attached to it.
Other proposals did not become law in the period described. Arkansas lawmakers failed to pass a full repeal in 2024. South Dakota voters rejected repeal in November 2024, while Utah lawmakers blocked a proposed ballot question before that election. In Mississippi, a House approved bill was still under Senate consideration in January 2025.
Local taxes can change the checkout total
A state rate is only part of the picture. Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee allow local jurisdictions to tax groceries. In Utah, the reported local rate was 1% and the county rate was 0.25%, in addition to the state rate of 1.75%. A shopper’s total can therefore depend on the city or county as well as the state.
Illinois has a related wrinkle. The state suspended its grocery tax from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, then restored a 1% rate. Local jurisdictions kept the ability to impose a food tax even when the state tax was not in effect. The state was scheduled to eliminate its rate in January 2026, but that did not mean local charges would necessarily disappear.
Hawaii handles the tax differently. As of 2024, it did not charge consumers a direct food sales tax, but retailers faced a tax of 4% to 4.5%. Businesses could pass some of that cost to customers through a surcharge of up to 0.5%. The charge may therefore show up differently from a standard grocery sales tax.
For a practical check, review the receipt for the tax line and confirm whether the purchase was classified as groceries, prepared food or another taxable item. Then check the current state and local rules for the place where the store is located. A statewide rate alone may not explain the amount collected.
Groceries and restaurant meals are not treated alike
Many states that exempt groceries draw a line between food intended for home consumption and meals prepared for immediate eating. Laws often define exempt items as unprepared food or food bought for home use. Restaurant meals, street vendor purchases and other ready to eat items may be subject to a different rule.
Oklahoma’s 2024 change covered food and ingredients sales, not prepared food. The source figures also distinguish Tennessee’s grocery rate from restaurant and prepared food. Oklahoma excludes dietary supplements from its grocery exemption. In Virginia, most cold prepared foods and staples are among the items subject to the 1% food tax, so the general label of groceries does not settle every checkout question.
Utah has a specific option for shoppers making mixed purchases at a restaurant. Diners can request a separate receipt for unprepared food bought at the location, so that food is not charged the tax. Keeping a grocery item separate from a prepared meal can make the tax treatment clearer on the bill.
These distinctions matter for budgeting as well as comparison shopping. Two items bought in the same store may not receive the same treatment if one is ready to eat and the other is intended for home preparation. When a receipt looks unexpected, the useful detail is the product category and the local rule, not simply the state’s headline rate.
Credits and temporary relief for grocery buyers
Some states offer relief to reduce the burden on lower income households. Idaho provides a grocery tax credit that averages $120 for most residents. Low income residents may qualify for a $120 refund, and each dependent in a family also qualifies for $120. Residents age 65 or older receive $140.
Hawaii offers a grocery tax credit to low income taxpayers to help offset the cost retailers may pass through to consumers. The reported information does not give a credit amount. Tennessee has also offered food sales tax holidays from time to time, temporarily suspending the tax for a limited period; shoppers need to check whether a holiday is in effect before counting on the savings.
Eligibility and timing differ, so households should verify the current requirements with the relevant state tax agency before relying on a credit or temporary exemption. In Alabama, the Department of Revenue said a further rate reduction on September 1, 2025 would depend on sufficient growth in the state Education Trust Fund for the next fiscal year. That condition illustrates why a proposed cut is not the same as a guaranteed change.
Supporters of grocery taxes point to revenue for public services. Opponents argue that taxing basic food costs weighs more heavily on households with limited incomes. For shoppers, the immediate questions are whether the food is taxable, whether a local rate applies and whether a credit or temporary break is available.