Alabama Sales Tax Rate (2026)
State Base Rate
4%
Local jurisdictions may add additional sales tax.
Last updated:
Source: Alabama Department of Revenue
How Sales Tax Works in Alabama
Alabama imposes a statewide base sales tax rate of 4%. Alabama is a destination-based sales tax state, meaning the tax rate is determined by the buyer's delivery address.
County taxes: Alabama counties can levy additional sales tax on top of the state rate, and rates vary by county.
City taxes: Cities in Alabama may impose their own sales tax, adding further variability to combined rates.
Rates in Alabama are typically updated quarterly. Businesses should monitor rate changes regularly to maintain compliance.
Why Rates Vary by County in Alabama
The combined sales tax rate a customer pays in Alabama depends on the specific jurisdiction of the transaction. Local governments use sales tax revenue to fund essential services such as infrastructure, public safety, and education.
This means that two addresses within the same city may have different tax rates if they fall in different special taxing districts. ZIP codes are particularly unreliable for tax determination because a single ZIP code can span multiple counties or tax jurisdictions.
For businesses operating in Alabama, manually tracking these rate changes across every jurisdiction is impractical. An automated API solution ensures you always apply the correct rate at the point of sale, reducing compliance risk and audit exposure.
Example API Response
Query real-time sales tax rates programmatically. Here is an example response for Jefferson County:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
"https://salestaxapi.io/api/rates?state=AL&zip=35203"{
"state": "AL",
"zip": "35203",
"county": "Jefferson County",
"total_rate": 0.1
}Get real-time Alabama sales tax rates via API
Access accurate, jurisdiction-level tax rates for every address in Alabama. Updated daily from Alabama Department of Revenue.
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