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Delaware Sales Tax Guide (2026)
No sales tax at state or local level, which is why shoppers cross the border. Sellers are reached instead through gross receipts tax, charged on revenue with no deduction for costs.[1]
Sales Tax at a Glance
The vehicle document fee rose to 5.25% on October 1, 2025
Delaware charges a document fee when a vehicle is titled, standing in for the sales tax it does not levy. That fee rose from 4.25% to 5.25% under HB 164.[5] Delaware charges several things in place of sales tax:
Delaware tax calculator
The default is 0% because Delaware has no sales tax. GRT presets ignore the monthly exclusion, which is usually the first $100,000.[2] For a real GRT calculation, talk to CrownGlobe.
What Delaware charges instead
Gross receipts tax rates
| General sales tax | None |
| Retailers | 0.7468% |
| Wholesalers | 0.3983% |
| Services & occupations | 0.3983% |
| Contractors | 0.6472% |
| Manufacturers | 0.1260% |
Rates apply after a monthly exclusion, generally the first $100,000 of receipts, or $1,250,000 for manufacturers.[2]
Who must register
There is no sales tax permit. Any person or entity conducting a trade or business in Delaware must hold a state business licence before starting, obtained through Delaware One Stop.[3] Liability follows Delaware activity, not entity formation.
No deductions, and no resale relief: GRT is charged on gross revenue with no deduction for cost of goods, labour or delivery, and Delaware has no general resale exemption, so a manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer can each owe GRT on the same goods.[1]
Sales Tax Registration and Filing
A business licence, not a sales tax permit, is the Delaware requirement.
How to register
- Confirm DE activity→
- Delaware One Stop→
- Pay licence fee→
- Get temporary licence→
- File GRT returns
Licences cost $75 a year for most categories and $90 for retail, plus $25 per extra location, and nearly all expire on December 31.[3]
Filing & due dates
| Frequency | Threshold | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Look-back over $1.5m | 20th of next month |
| Quarterly | Look-back under $1.5m | Month-end after quarter |
| Franchise tax | Corporations | Mar 1 annually |
Late GRT filing costs 5% a month plus 0.5% a month interest.[6] Trading without a licence risks a fine of up to $3,000 and the unpaid licence fees.[7]
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
Nothing sold at retail in Delaware carries sales tax. The seller, rather than the buyer, is who Delaware taxes.[1]
Reached by gross receipts tax
- Retail sales where the buyer takes possession in DE0.7468%
- Wholesale goods delivered in DE0.3983%
- Professional & personal services in DE0.3983%
- Construction & development work0.6472%
- Goods manufactured in Delaware0.1260%
- Titling a vehicle in Delaware5.25% document fee
Carries no Delaware sales tax
- Clothing, electronics & furnitureNo sales tax
- Groceries & restaurant mealsNo sales tax
- SaaS, software & digital goodsNo sales tax
- Shipping & delivery chargesNo sales tax
- The first $100k of monthly receiptsGRT exclusion
- Nonprofit receipts under 501(c)30 Del. C. 2301(p)
Glossary of key terms
- Gross receipts tax
- Delaware’s tax on a seller’s total revenue, with no deduction for costs.
- Monthly exclusion
- The receipts a business may deduct before GRT applies, usually the first $100,000.
- Business licence
- The registration every business trading in Delaware must hold, renewed annually.
- Franchise tax
- An entity-level tax on Delaware-formed companies, unrelated to Delaware trading activity.
- Document fee
- A 5.25% charge on titling a vehicle, standing in for sales tax on the purchase.
- Form 373
- A narrow wholesale exemption for out-of-state buyers collecting goods in Delaware.
Sales Tax FAQs
No. Delaware charges no sales tax at state or local level, which is why it is a common destination for cross-border shopping.
Sellers pay gross receipts tax on Delaware revenue, at rates from about 0.0945% to 1.9914% depending on activity, after a monthly exclusion that is usually the first $100,000.
No. Gross receipts tax applies to any business with Delaware activity, based on actual revenue. Franchise tax applies only to entities formed under Delaware law, whether or not they trade there.
5.25% of the purchase price or NADA value, whichever is greater, since October 1, 2025. It was 4.25% before that date.
There is no Delaware sales tax on SaaS or digital goods. Those receipts may still form part of a seller’s gross receipts tax base if the business has Delaware activity.
There is no general resale exemption, because gross receipts tax applies at each stage of distribution. A narrow wholesale exemption on Form 373 covers out-of-state buyers collecting goods in Delaware.
Sources & methodology
- DE Revenue – Gross Receipts Tax FAQs
- DE Revenue – Licence & Tax Rate Table (PDF)
- DE Revenue – Business Licence FAQs
- DE Corporations – LLC/LP/GP Annual Tax
- State of Delaware – DMV Fee Increase Oct 2025
- DE Revenue – 2026 GRT Due Dates (PDF)
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 21 Licences
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 29 Retail & Wholesale
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 23 Occupations
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 27 Manufacturers
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 25 Contractors
- DE Corporations – Franchise Tax Calculator
- DE DMV – Vehicle Titling
- Del. Code – Title 30 Ch. 54 Realty Transfer
Need help with Delaware sales tax compliance?
CrownGlobe helps businesses handle registration, nexus tracking, filings, and audit response across every state.