Idaho Sales Tax

The current state sales tax rate in Idaho (ID) is 6%. The total tax rate might be as high as 9% depending on local municipalities. Non-property taxes are permitted at the local level in resort cities if a 60 percent majority vote is obtained. This covers taxes on hotels, booze, and sales. In comparison to local-level tax rates in other states, Idaho’s other local-level tax rates are rather complicated. The municipal, county, school, transportation, and SPD (special purpose district) levels may all levy a sales tax in Idaho. Visit the Idaho State Tax Commission’s FAQ Number 146 to learn more about local sales taxes. To do business in Idaho, businesses that sell, rent, or lease tangible personal property must first get a seller’s permit.

Sales Tax Rates in Idaho by County

In Idaho, when do you have to charge sales tax?

If your business has a sales tax nexus in Idaho, you must charge sales tax. In different states, the term “sales tax nexus” signifies different things. It could be having a physical site (e.g., a brick and mortar business) or having someone working for you in the state. It can also refer to having a ‘affiliate’ or ‘click through’ sales tax nexus in the case of ecommerce.

Check the Idaho government’s sales tax website to see if you should be charging sales tax in your state.

In Idaho, which items are exempt from sales tax?

Prescription medications, for example, are free from sales tax in Idaho. There are also Idaho sales tax exemptions that can be used if the seller or buyer meets specific requirements.

Check the Idaho government’s tax website for a complete list of exemptions.

What is Idaho known for?

Idaho is known for:

• Potatoes
• Gems
• Scenic mountain landscapes
• Miles of protected wilderness
• Outdoor recreation areas
• Huckleberries

Idaho Fun Facts

• Idaho is a made-up word. When Congress was considering a name for present-day Colorado, lobbyist George Willing suggested the name “Idaho,” claiming it was an Indian word that means “gem of the mountains.” This name was not chosen for Colorado, but two years later it was used when the Idaho Territory was created in 1863.
• American Falls is unique from most communities because the entire town was moved in the mid-1920s when the original American Falls Dam was constructed.
• Hell’s Canyon is the deepest gorge in America at 7,993 feet.
• Idaho is called the “Gem State” because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found in the state of Idaho. More than 72 different precious and semi-precious gemstones are mined from Idaho.
• Idaho is the only state in the United States with an official State Raptor, peregrine falcon.
• Soda Springs boasts the largest man-made geyser in the world.
• Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found in any significant quantities (India is the other).
• The statehouse in Boise is geothermally heated from underground hot springs.
• On July 17, 1955, the town of Arco became the first city in the world to be lit by atomic energy.
• Idaho’s Shoshone Falls is called the “Niagara of the West.” It is 212 feet high—45 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

Tourist Attractions in Idaho

• Bogus Basin: Ski area near Boise, Idaho.
• Boise National Forest: National forest covering more than 2.5 million acres in Idaho.
• Craters of the Moon: National monument and national preserve in central Idaho.
• Farragut State Park: State park in northern Idaho.
• Harriman State Park: State park in eastern Idaho.
• Hells Canyon: Canyon on the border of western Idaho, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington.
• Idaho Botanical Garden: Botanical garden in Boise, Idaho.
• Lake Coeur d’Alene: Lake in northern Idaho.
• Lake Pend Oreille: Lake in northern Idaho.
• Perrine Bridge: Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho.
• Ponderosa State Park: State park in Valley County, Idaho.
• Redfish Lake: Lake in central Idaho.
• Shoshone Falls: Waterfall on the Snake river in southern Idaho.
• Silverwood Theme Park: Theme park in Athol, Idaho.
• Sun Valley Resort: Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho.
• Tamarack Resort: Resort in Tamarack, Idaho.
• World Center for Birds of Prey: Educational center in Boise, Idaho.
• Yellowstone Bear World: Drive-thru wildlife park in Rexburg, Idaho.
• Zoo Boise: Zoo in Boise, Idaho.