Idaho Sales Tax Guide (2026)
6% almost everywhere, because Idaho authorises no county tax and no general city tax at all, and it taxes groceries only to refund the money on a different return.[1]
Sales Tax at a Glance
Idaho taxes groceries, then refunds the tax on your income return
There is no food exemption in Idaho. A shopper pays 6% on a loaf of bread and recovers it months later through the grocery tax credit, currently $155 per person per year.[5]
Idaho sales tax calculator
Estimate only. Resort cities set and collect their own rates, so confirm the figure with the city rather than the Tax Commission.[3] Talk to CrownGlobe about lodging stacks.
Idaho Sales Tax Rates, Nexus & the two local lanes
What can be added to Idaho’s 6%
| State sales & use tax | 6% |
| County sales tax | None authorised |
| General city sales tax | None authorised |
| Resort city local-option tax | Voter-approved, city-set |
| Auditorium district tax | Up to 5%, lodging only |
A separate 2% statewide travel and convention tax also applies to lodging of 30 days or less, on top of the 6% and any district tax.[8]
Who must register
Either trigger applies: economic nexus where cumulative gross receipts from sales delivered into Idaho exceed $100,000 in the previous or current calendar year, with no transaction-count test, or any physical presence in the state.[6]
Remote sellers are barred from collecting local tax: a seller whose only connection is the economic threshold charges 6% and nothing more, even on a delivery into a resort city. That changes the moment the seller acquires a physical presence.[6]
Sales Tax Registration and Filing
Idaho seller’s permits are issued without charge.
How to register
- Confirm nexus→
- Idaho Business Registration→
- Permit issued free→
- Validate in Taxpayer Access Point→
- File electronically
Temporary permits are also free, but no retailer may hold more than three of them in a single calendar year.[9]
Filing & due dates
| Frequency | Assigned when | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Standard assignment | 20th of next month |
| Quarterly | Under $750 tax a quarter | 20th after quarter |
| Semiannual or annual | By application, few sales | 20th after period |
Failure to file or pay costs 5% of the tax due per month up to 25%, with a $10 minimum, and interest runs at 6% a year for 2026.[10]
Sales Tax & Nexus Pricing
Multi Tax Filing – $50 Per State/Month
| Service | What’s Included |
|---|---|
| Multi-state registration | Nexus tracking, permit setup, and state agency coordination. |
| Monthly filing | Sales tax returns filed in every registered state. |
| Exemption & audit support | Certificate handling and notice response. |
Taxable vs. exempt
Idaho taxes goods, lodging, admissions and canned software on physical media, and excludes electronically delivered and remotely accessed software entirely.[1]
Generally taxable
- Tangible retail goodsIdaho Code 63-3619
- Groceries & food for home useNo food exemption
- Prepared meals & drinksIdaho Code 63-3612
- Lodging of 30 days or lessPlus 2% travel levy
- Admissions & recreationIdaho Code 63-3612
- Digital music, books & games with permanent useIdaho Code 63-3616(b)
Generally exempt
- SaaS & remotely accessed softwareIdaho Code 63-3616(b)
- Electronically delivered softwareIdaho Code 63-3616(b)
- Custom computer programsIdaho Code 63-3616(b)
- Prescription drugs & medical devicesIdaho Code 63-3622N
- Purchases with SNAP or WIC benefitsIdaho Code 63-3622FF
- Sales for resaleForm ST-101
Glossary of key terms
- Resort city
- A city under 10,000 people whose economy depends on visitors, the only kind of Idaho city allowed to levy a local sales tax.
- Auditorium district
- A special district that may tax hotel and motel room receipts at up to 5%.
- Grocery tax credit
- Idaho’s refundable income tax credit offsetting sales tax paid on food, currently $155 per person.
- Remotely accessed software
- Software reached over a network under a licence or subscription; excluded from Idaho’s tax base.
- Permanent right to use
- The test deciding whether digital media is taxable; access conditioned on continued payment is not permanent.
- Travel and convention tax
- A 2% statewide levy on short-term lodging, separate from sales tax and district taxes.
Sales Tax FAQs
6% statewide. Idaho authorises no county sales tax and no general city sales tax, so 6% is the correct rate almost everywhere. Only 23 resort cities and five auditorium districts may add anything on top.
Yes, at the full 6% rate. There is no food exemption in the statute. Idaho instead pays a refundable grocery tax credit of $155 per person per year on the state income tax return, or actual tax paid on food up to $250 per person if receipts are submitted.
No. Idaho expressly excludes custom software, electronically delivered software, load-and-leave software and remotely accessed software from tangible personal property, so hosted applications fall outside the tax base.
No. A seller whose only Idaho connection is crossing the $100,000 threshold is barred by statute from collecting any local tax, so it charges 6% even on a delivery into a resort city. Acquiring a physical presence changes that.
More than $100,000 of cumulative gross receipts from sales delivered into Idaho in the previous or current calendar year. There is no transaction-count alternative.
Nothing. Permits are issued without charge. Fees apply only for re-issuing a permit after a revocation, at $10 for the first and $25 for each one after that.
Sources & methodology
- ID Tax Commission – Sales & Use Tax Basics
- Idaho Code 63-3619 – Sales Tax Rate
- ID Tax Commission – City Sales Taxes
- Idaho Code 67-4917B – Auditorium District Tax
- ID Tax Commission – Idaho Grocery Credit
- Idaho Code 63-3611 – Engaged in Business
- Idaho Code 63-3616 – Tangible Personal Property
- ID Tax Commission – Auditorium District Taxes
- Idaho Code 63-3620 – Permits
- ID Tax Commission – Filing & Paying
- Idaho Code 50-1044 – Resort City Authority
- Idaho Code 63-3622YY – Small Seller
- Idaho Code 63-3024A – Food Tax Credit
- ID Tax Commission – Marketplace Facilitators
Need help with Idaho sales tax compliance?
CrownGlobe helps businesses handle registration, nexus tracking, filings, and audit response across every state.