The Tax Foundation has completed its annual rundown of sales taxes among the states, and there are a small number of Super States when it comes to sales taxes. Among the states that don’t charge any sales taxes are:
- Alaska (has some local sales taxes)
- Delaware
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Oregon
The states with the highest combined state and local sales taxes are:
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Arkansas
- Alabama
See where your state lands on the Tax Foundation’s map:
As an example of the power of zero sales taxes, The Tax Foundation’s Abir Mandal points to New Hampshire and its border with Vermont. He writes:
At the statewide level, businesses sometimes locate just outside the borders of high-sales-tax areas to avoid being subjected to their rates. A stark example of this occurs in New England, where even though I-91 runs up the Vermont side of the Connecticut River, many more retail establishments choose to locate on the New Hampshire side to avoid sales taxes. One study shows that per capita sales in border counties in sales-tax-free New Hampshire have tripled since the late 1950s, while per capita sales in border counties in Vermont have remained stagnant. At one time, Delaware actually used its highway welcome sign to remind motorists that Delaware is the “Home of Tax-Free Shopping.”
New Hampshire coincidentally has been Your Survival Guy’s top Super States for four years running. The combination of no income tax and no sales tax is a one-two punch for residents.
Action Line: If you’re looking for a better America, be sure to begin your search with Your Survival Guy’s 2025 Super States map, and click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, and you’ll be among the first to receive my forthcoming 2026 Super States rankings.
