Mississippi Sales Tax

The current state sales tax rate in Mississippi (MS) is 7%. The total tax rate might be as high as 8% depending on local municipalities. Mississippi was included in Kiplinger’s ranking of the top ten tax-friendly states for retirees in 2011. Sales taxes are not applied to prescription pharmaceuticals and health-care services, and income taxes are not applied to social security and qualifying retirement income. The assessed value of a property is taxed at 10%, with a senior exemption for the first $75,000 of value.

Sales Tax Rates in Mississippi by County

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

If your business has a sales tax nexus in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi government’s sales tax website to see if you should be charging sales tax in your state.

In Mississippi, which items are exempt from sales tax?

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

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

What is Mississippi known for?

Mississippi is known for:

• Catfish
• Cotton
• Bluegrass music
• Southern Charm

Mississippi Fun Facts

• The state of Mississippi was named for the Mississippi River, whose name comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word “misi-ziibi,” meaning “great river.”
• On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of both the Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe today as Memorial Day.
• The Mississippi city of Greenwood is commonly called the Cotton Capital of the World.
• While on a hunting expedition near Onward in November of 1902, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been surrounded. This event inspired a Brooklyn candy shop owner to create a stuffed “Teddy’s Bear.” Teddy bears soon became a favorite toy all over the world.
• On June 11, 1963, Dr. James Hardy of the University of Mississippi performed the world’s first human lung transplant.
• The Mississippi city of Vardaman is called the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.
• Greenville is called the Towboat Capital of the World.
• The world’s only cactus plantation is in Edwards, Mississippi.
• In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg.
• In Mississippi, it is illegal for a man to seduce a woman by pretending that he will marry her.

Tourist Attractions in Mississippi

• B. B. King Museum: Museum dedicated to preserve and share the legacy and values of B. B. King, located in Indianola, Mississippi.
• Buccaneer State Park: State park in Waveland, Mississippi.
• Deer Island: Island off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi.
• Elvis Presley Birthplace: Historic museum site in Tupelo, Mississippi.
• Geyser Falls Water Theme Park: Water park in Pearl River, Mississippi.
• Gulf Islands National Seashore: National seashore in southern Mississippi.
• Hattiesburg Zoo: Zoo in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
• Jackson Zoo: Zoo in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science: Natural science museum in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Natchez Trace Parkway: National parkway along Ross R Barnett Reservoir in central Mississippi.
• Rowan Oak: William Faulkner’s former home in Oxford, Mississippi.
• Ship Island: Islands off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
• USS Cairo: Historic warship in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
• Vicksburg National Military Park: Military park preserving the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.