Eligiblity of Sales Tax Refund for Tourists in US by State

Many countries refund sales tax, Goods and Services Tax(GST), or Value Added Tax(VAT) to tourists for any of the goods they purchase in the visiting country. For instance, Singapore refunds GST on purchases done by tourists, and UAE offers VAT refunds for tourists.

These refunds are aimed at boosting tourist spending in the country. Also, as the goods are exported to another country via the tourist, the local tax is not applicable; hence, the tax is refunded.

However, the United States(US) works very differently. There is no concept of blanket sales tax or VAT refund at the federal level of the US government. The respective States in the US handle the tourist Sales tax refunds. In this article, we will review what the US states that offer such refunds, which states do not, and how it works.

Background: No Sales Tax Refund at the US Federal Level. Managed by States

Many countries have a standardized Sales tax that is collected as Value Added Tax(VAT), Goods and Services Tax(GST), or other forms of sales tax that is applied on a national level.

Unlike in other countries, in the US, no Sales tax is collected at the national or Federal Government Level. The individual states in the US handle it.

As there is no handling of Sales Tax at the US Federal Government level, the refund is also not handled by the US Federal Government. The individual states in the US handle the Sales Tax refunds.

Eligibility of Sales Tax Refunds for Tourists by US State, City

The table below lists the status of sales tax refunds for tourists for purchases made by them in a US State and popular cities in that state. We have listed the relevant official websites, where tax refund is available to get more details in the below table.

You can read more details at How to get Tourist Tax Refund in USA

What has been your experience with Sales Tax Refund in the US as a tourist? Share your experiences in comments section below.