Sales Tax in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2025

We'll walk you through how the sales tax rate is determined for Philadelphia and address some common questions you may have. We'll also cover how to collect, audit, and remit sales tax in Philadelphia.

Plus, we’ll share the best solution that will ensure you are always compliant across the entire sales tax lifecycle.

Disclaimer: Our sales tax data is updated on a quarterly basis. 

Philadelphia Sales Tax Rate 2025

Philadelphia is located in Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania, United States, and has a sales tax rate of 8.00%. This includes local and state sales tax rates.

Here is the breakdown of the Philadelphia's sales tax:

Tax Jurisdiction	Sales Tax Rate
Pennsylvania State Tax	6.00%
Philadelphia County Tax	2.00%
Combined Rate	8.00%

This rate applies to the following zip codes in Philadelphia:

19032, 19143, 19151, 19137, 19129, 19115, 19103, 19142, 19131, 19107, 19124, 19133, 19125, 19126, 19128, 19136, 19154, 19114, 19116, 19082, 19140, 19153, 19031, 19152, 19027, 19029, 19079, 19146, 19120, 19134, 19145, 19119, 19150, 19118, 19149, 19144, 19053, 19106, 19139, 19121, 19112, 19012, 19108, 19023, 19050, 19109, 19148, 19104, 19102, 19147, 19141, 19138, 19132, 19122, 19111, 19123, 19127, 19130, 19135, 19046, 19038, 19095, 19020, 08110, 08102, 08104, 08075, 08077, 08065, 08030, 08086, 08063, 08103, 08093

How Does the Philadelphia Sales Tax Compare to the Rest of Pennsylvania?

Philadelphia’s 8.00% sales tax rate is the highest rate you can find in Pennsylvania. It is 2.00% higher than Pennsylvania’s lowest rate, which is 6.00% and can be found in Lilly Borough, among other places.

To give you a better idea, here’s a comparison of Philadelphia sales tax rates with a few other cities in Pennsylvania:

City	Sales Tax Rates
Lilly Borough	6.00%
Trafford Borough	6.00%-7.00%
Brackenridge Borough	7.00%
Philadelphia	8.00%

You can also compare the sales tax rate of Philadelphia against the Pennsylvania cities closest in population size:

• Pittsburgh's sales tax rate is 7.00%
• Allentown's sales tax rate is 6.00%

What Creates Sales Tax Nexus in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia follows the Pennsylvania state sales tax law, as it’s located in Pennsylvania. There are no separate nexus rules specifically for Philadelphia other than the Pennsylvania state tax law.

Read More: Check out our detailed guide on Sales Tax in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania state sales tax nexus rules include:

• Economic Nexus: Businesses with an economic nexus of more than $100,000 in the past 12 months.

• Physical Location: Businesses that have an office, warehouse, or storage inventory in the Commonwealth. If a non-Pennsylvania business without a physical location makes a taxable sale in the state, they need to apply for a Transient Vendor Certificate.

• Employee Location: Businesses that have an employee in the Commonwealth.

• Trade Shows: Businesses that participate in craft, trade, and other shows in the Commonwealth. Individuals and businesses renting or operating a space for shows must obtain a Promotor License.

What Products Are Exempt from Philadelphia Sales Tax?

These tax exemptions are granted by the Pennsylvania sales tax law and apply to Philadelphia as well. (There are no separate exemptions for Philadelphia taxpayers.)

• Books and stationery items, such as school textbooks, periodicals (purchased by subscription), and newspapers (for general submission).

• Clothing and accessories, like aprons, belts, and undergarments.

• Cosmetics and toiletries include hair restorative products, deodorants, sunburn preventives, and toothbrushes.

• Farming supplies and equipment, like barm shovels, fertilizers, harnesses used to control productive animals, artificial breeding equipment and supplies.

• Flowers, seeds, and fertilizers, such as Vegetable seeds, vegetable plants, and fruit trees purchased with food stamps.

• Food and beverages sold from a caterer or establishment selling ready-to-eat food, such as candy, gum, ice, and gum.

• Food and beverages sold from vending machines, delicatessen, grocery stores, supermarkets, farmers’ markets, bakeries, donut shops, pastry shops, convenience stores, and similar establishments, such as food supplements, fruit juices, and energy bars.

• Home sewing, hat, and craft supplies, like buckles, fabrics, and knitting yarns.

• Household goods and supplies include disposable diapers, sanitary pads, and wet wipes.

• Medicine, drugs, and medical supplies, like antiseptics (external use), bed pans, dialysis machines, food substitutes, and pet medicines.

• Miscellaneous, such as coupon books sold to individuals, caskets, burial vaults, markers, interred cremation urns and tombstones for human graves, and flags of the US and the Commonwealth.

• Pets, such as flea collars, pet cremation, and burial services.

• Shoes and shoe accessories, like overshoes, safety shoes, and shoe laces.

• Sporting equipment, clothing supplies, and recreational equipment, like gym outfits and bowling shirts.

• Utilities and fuel, such as coal, firewood, kindling, wood pellets, bricks, fuel oil, gas, steam, or electricity purchased for residential use.

Who Needs a Sales Permit in Philadelphia?

A sales tax permit is called the Pennsylvania Sales, Use, and Hotel Occupancy Retail Tax License in the state. It’s typically issued by states in the United States. You can register for one online at the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s myPath site. You need a sales permit if you plan to sell any taxable items and services in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania.

How to Collect Sales Tax in Philadelphia

Since Pennsylvania uses origin-based sales tax sourcing for intrastate sales and destination-based sales tax sourcing for interstate sales, the same applies to Philadelphia as well. According to Pennsylvania sales tax law, here’s how you can collect sales tax on:

• Intrastate sales: A sale is considered intrastate if it ships from an origin in Pennsylvania to a buyer's address in Pennsylvania. So, if you make a sale originating in Pennsylvania and the buyer’s ship-to address is also in Pennsylvania, you need to charge the sales tax rate at the sale's originating point. For instance, your business is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and you make a taxable sale to a buyer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. You’d charge the buyer the sales tax rate at your Philadelphia location.

• Interstate sales: A sale is considered interstate if the item ships from outside Pennsylvania and the seller isn’t otherwise “engaged in a business” in the state. In such cases, you’d generally charge the sales tax rate at your buyer’s location. For example, your business is in Hoboken, New Jersey, and you make a sale to a buyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You’d charge the buyer the Philadelphia sales tax rate.

Learn more about origin-based and destination-based sales tax sourcing here.

How to File and Pay Sales Tax in Philadelphia

Taxpayers have multiple options to file and pay Philadelphia sales tax returns:

• File and pay online: File sales tax at Pennsylvania MyPATH. Taxpayers remitting $1,000 or more in sales tax should remit funds via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Taxpayers remitting less than $1,000 can pay through Automated Clearing House (ACH) Debit, Automated Clearing House (ACH) Credit, or credit card.

• File by phone: Telefile is available at 1-800-748-8299 for taxpayers who don’t have computer access

• Or, you can say goodbye to the tedious paperwork and hello to stress-free sales tax management with Zamp. We help you automate sales tax filings, check your transactions, and manage the nitty-gritty of ongoing compliance without a third-party - wherever you are in the United States!
  • With our white-glove onboarding, rooftop accurate calculations, proactive nexus monitoring, expert tax professional services, and click-to-approve sales tax registrations & filings, we take care of all the sales tax responsibilities for you. You can focus on your business and clients without worrying about the complexities of sales tax. We also ensure that you always stay compliant.