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Home›US›NJ Sales Tax Calculator

New Jersey Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate NJ sales tax at the 6.625% standard rate or 3.3125% UEZ rate, see which items are exempt (clothing, groceries, OTC drugs), and compare NJ vs NY to see how much you save.

Calculate NJ sales tax on any purchase
NJ exempts all clothing with NO dollar limit — a $500 jacket is tax-free. Groceries and OTC drugs are also exempt.
$
Price before tax
UEZ rate is half the standard rate (31 cities)
Clothing and groceries are fully exempt in NJ
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How to Use This Calculator

Calculate Total tab

Enter your purchase amount, select your tax zone (Standard 6.625% or Urban Enterprise Zone 3.3125%), and choose an item type (general merchandise, clothing, or groceries). The calculator shows your sales tax and total cost. Clothing and groceries display $0 tax because they are fully exempt in NJ.

Standard vs UEZ Rates tab

Compare the standard NJ rate of 6.625% with the Urban Enterprise Zone rate of 3.3125%. View all 31 UEZ cities including Camden, Newark, Trenton, Paterson, Elizabeth, Jersey City, and Plainfield. See how much you save on a $1,000 purchase in a UEZ vs the rest of NJ.

NJ Exemptions tab

See every NJ tax-exempt category: clothing (no dollar limit), groceries, prescription and OTC drugs, and paper products. Enter a clothing item price to compare NJ vs NYC — NJ charges $0 tax on any clothing item, while NYC charges 8.875% on items over $110.

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The Formula

NJ sales tax is simple — one rate statewide with no local additions:

Sales Tax = Purchase Price × Tax Rate

Total Cost = Purchase Price + Sales Tax

Where:
  Standard Rate = 6.625% (everywhere in NJ)
  UEZ Rate = 3.3125% (31 designated cities)

Exempt items (clothing, groceries, OTC drugs):
  Sales Tax = $0.00 regardless of price

Example: $200 electronics purchase (standard rate)
  $200.00 × 0.06625 = $13.25 tax = $213.25 total

New Jersey is one of the simplest states for sales tax. There are no county or city surtaxes — the rate is 6.625% everywhere except in the 31 Urban Enterprise Zones where it drops to 3.3125%.

Example

Sarah — Shopping in New Jersey vs New York City

Sarah lives near the NJ/NY border and wants to buy a $500 winter jacket. She is comparing whether to buy it in New Jersey or in Manhattan.

$500 jacket in New Jersey

Purchase price$500.00
Item typeClothing (exempt)
NJ sales tax$0.00
Total cost in NJ$500.00

$500 jacket in New York City

Purchase price$500.00
NYC combined rate8.875%
NYC exemption limit$110 per item
NYC sales tax$44.38
Total cost in NYC$544.38

The savings

NJ advantage$44.38 saved
WhyNJ exempts ALL clothing — no dollar limit
NY ruleOnly items under $110 exempt

Sarah saves $44.38 by buying the jacket in New Jersey. NJ exempts clothing at any price point — even a $5,000 designer coat would be completely tax-free. In NYC, any clothing item over $110 is taxed at the full 8.875% combined rate.

FAQ

New Jersey's sales tax rate is 6.625%, effective since January 1, 2018. There are no local sales taxes anywhere in the state — the rate is uniform statewide. The only exception is the 31 Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZs) where qualifying in-person retail purchases are taxed at 3.3125%, exactly half the standard rate.
Yes. New Jersey exempts all clothing and footwear from sales tax with absolutely no dollar limit. A $10 t-shirt, a $500 jacket, and a $5,000 designer coat are all tax-free. This is one of NJ's biggest shopping advantages. By contrast, New York only exempts clothing items priced under $110 per item — anything over $110 is taxed at the full combined rate (8.875% in NYC).
Urban Enterprise Zones are 31 designated cities in New Jersey created to stimulate economic development. Qualifying retailers in UEZs charge only 3.3125% sales tax — half the standard 6.625% rate. UEZ cities include Camden, Newark, Trenton, Paterson, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Plainfield, Bayonne, and 23 others. The reduced rate applies to most in-person retail purchases at UEZ-certified businesses. Online purchases shipped to a UEZ typically pay the standard rate.
Unprepared groceries (food you cook at home) are fully exempt from NJ sales tax. This includes fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, and other staple foods. However, prepared food (restaurant meals, ready-to-eat items, hot food) is taxable at the full 6.625% rate. Candy and soft drinks are also taxable in NJ.
NJ's 6.625% rate is moderate compared to neighbors. New York's combined rate reaches 8.875% in NYC (4% state + 4.5% local + 0.375% MTA surcharge). Pennsylvania charges 6% state plus up to 2% local (8% in Philadelphia). Delaware has no sales tax at all. NJ's key advantage is the unlimited clothing exemption and the absence of local surtaxes — making it the best state in the region for clothing purchases.

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