Utah Sales Tax Guide (2026)
The 4.85% everyone calls Utah’s state rate is two separate taxes, and a further 1.25% applies in every jurisdiction before any district tax is added.[1]
Sales Tax at a Glance
Utah’s rate is built from layers, not from a state figure plus a local one
The state portion is a 4.70% sales and use tax plus a 0.15% Medicaid expansion tax. Beneath it a 1.00% local tax and a 0.25% county option tax apply in every jurisdiction, before any district tax.[1]
Utah sales tax calculator
Estimate only. District taxes vary by address and the Commission republishes rates every quarter, so confirm the figure for the applicable location.[6] Talk to CrownGlobe about rate mapping.
Utah Sales Tax Rates, Nexus & the layer structure
How a Utah rate is assembled
| State sales & use tax | 4.70% |
| State Medicaid expansion tax | 0.15% |
| Local sales & use tax | 1.00% |
| County option sales tax | 0.25% |
| State food tax, replacing the first two | 1.75% |
Roughly thirty further optional columns exist for transit, highway, hospital, cultural, town option, resort and revitalisation taxes, each with its own statute and imposing body.[6]
Who must register
Either trigger applies: economic nexus at more than $100,000 in gross revenue from Utah sales in the previous or current calendar year, or any physical presence. The separate 200-transaction test ceased to apply on 1 July 2025.[4]
Utah sources in two directions at once: a seller with a fixed Utah place of business charges the rate at that location, while a remote seller charges the buyer’s rate. One business with both a storefront and out-of-state fulfilment applies both rules.[2]
Sales Tax Registration and Filing
Register through the Tax Commission before making taxable sales.
How to register
- Confirm nexus→
- Taxpayer Access Point registration→
- Sales tax licence issued→
- Map rate layers by location→
- File electronically
All Utah sales tax returns must be filed electronically, and monthly filers may claim a seller discount that quarterly filers cannot.[2]
Filing & due dates
| Frequency | Annual liability | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | $50,000 or less | Last day after quarter |
| Monthly | $50,001 to $96,000 | Last day of next month |
| Monthly with EFT | $96,001 or more | Last day of next month |
Late filing and late payment penalties are separate and can both apply, tiered at the greater of $20 or 2%, 5% or 10% depending on how late the return or payment is.[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
Utah taxes tangible goods, prewritten software however delivered, electronically transferred products and repair labour, and applies a reduced rate rather than an exemption to food.[1]
Generally taxable
- Retail sales & leases of goodsUtah Code 59-12-103
- Prewritten software, incl. remote accessPublication 64
- Products transferred electronicallyUtah Code 59-12-103
- Repair, cleaning & renovation labourUtah Code 59-12-103
- Prepared food & mealsFull combined rate
- Admissions & recreation feesUtah Code 59-12-103
Exempt or reduced rate
- Unprepared grocery foodReduced 3% total rate
- Prescription drugs & prescribed equipmentUtah Code 59-12-104
- Custom computer softwarePublication 64
- Purchases for resaleUtah Code 59-12-104
- Agricultural machinery & suppliesUtah Code 59-12-104
- Interstate sales delivered elsewhereUtah Code 59-12-104
Glossary of key terms
- State Medicaid expansion tax
- A 0.15% state-level component shown separately from the 4.70% rate, together making the quoted 4.85%.
- Mandatory local layer
- The 1.00% local tax and 0.25% county option tax levied in every Utah jurisdiction.
- State food tax
- The 1.75% rate that replaces the two state components on grocery food, giving a flat 3% statewide.
- Origin sourcing
- Charging tax at the seller’s fixed place of business; Utah applies it to in-state dealers but not to remote sellers.
- Seller discount
- A 1.31% retention of combined tax collected, available only to monthly filers and lost on a late or short payment.
- Combined rate
- The single rate at a Utah location: state components plus the mandatory local layer plus every applicable district tax.
Sales Tax FAQs
The state portion is 4.85%, itself made up of a 4.70% sales and use tax and a 0.15% Medicaid expansion tax. A 1.00% local tax and 0.25% county option tax apply in every jurisdiction, and district taxes stack on top, so no Utah address charges only the state rate.
Yes, at a reduced flat 3% combined rate statewide. A 1.75% state food rate replaces the two state components while the 1.25% mandatory local layer stays, so the grocery rate is identical everywhere and never varies by district.
Yes. Utah taxes prewritten software regardless of delivery method, and licence fees for remotely accessed prewritten software are taxable where the software is used in Utah. Custom software written for a specific customer is not taxable.
Both, depending on the seller. A retail sale by a seller with a fixed Utah place of business is sourced to that business location whether or not goods are delivered. A remote seller with no fixed Utah location sources to the buyer.
More than $100,000 in gross revenue from Utah sales in the previous or current calendar year. The separate 200-transaction test ceased to apply on 1 July 2025, so any guidance still listing it is out of date.
Monthly filers may retain 1.31% of the combined sales tax collected. Quarterly filers do not qualify, and the discount is forfeited if the monthly return is filed late or the tax underpaid, which is why some businesses just over the threshold move to monthly filing deliberately.
Sources & methodology
- Utah Tax Commission – Sales & Use Tax
- Utah – Publication 25 Sales & Use Tax
- Utah Tax Commission – Grocery Food Rate
- Utah Tax Commission – Remote Sellers
- Utah – Publication 64 Computer Services
- Utah Tax Commission – Sales Tax Rates
- Utah – Publication 58 Interest & Penalties
- Utah Tax Commission – Tax Bulletins
- Utah Tax Commission – Quarterly Rate Changes
- Utah – Rate Component Code References
- Utah Tax Commission – Sales Tax Rate Cards
- Utah Tax Commission – Sales & Use Tax FAQ
- Utah Code – Title 59 Chapter 12
- Utah – Publication 25 (web version)
Need help with Utah sales tax compliance?
CrownGlobe helps businesses handle registration, nexus tracking, filings, and audit response across every state.