What is the sales tax rate in San Jose?

San Jose's combined sales tax rate is 9.375%. That is made up of the 6% California state rate, the 1.25% mandatory local rate, and additional Santa Clara County and city district taxes that bring the total to 9.375%.

Why is San Jose's rate higher than the California base of 7.25%?

California's statewide minimum is 7.25%, but cities and counties can add voter-approved district taxes on top. San Jose and Santa Clara County have stacked several district taxes, pushing the combined rate to 9.375%.

Are groceries taxed in San Jose?

Most unprepared food sold for home consumption is exempt from California sales tax, so basic groceries are not taxed. Prepared or hot food, dietary supplements, and many beverages are taxable. Use the exempt toggle for non-taxable grocery items.

Is sales tax charged on the full price before discounts?

Sales tax is generally applied to the price after store discounts and coupons issued by the retailer, but before manufacturer rebates in some cases. Enter the actual amount you are charged at the register for the most accurate result.

Does San Jose sales tax apply to online orders?

Yes. California requires sales or use tax on taxable goods shipped to a San Jose address. Most large online retailers collect the destination-based combined rate, which for San Jose is 9.375%.

San Jose Combined Sales Tax Calculator

Sales tax in San Jose is higher than California’s statewide base because the city and Santa Clara County have layered on voter-approved district taxes. This calculator applies the full combined 9.375% rate to your purchase and breaks out where each portion goes.

How it works

The combined rate is the sum of the state base, the mandatory local rate, and district add-ons:

California state + mandatory local = 7.25%
Santa Clara County + district adds = 2.125%
San Jose combined rate             = 9.375%

For a taxable purchase the tax and total are:

Sales tax = taxable amount × 0.09375
Total     = taxable amount + sales tax

Tax-exempt items, such as most unprepared groceries, are excluded from the taxable amount so no tax is applied to them.

Example

A 200 dollar taxable purchase in San Jose is taxed 200 × 0.09375 = 18.75 dollars, for a total of 218.75. If 50 dollars of that cart were exempt groceries, only the remaining 150 is taxed: 14.06 in tax.

Notes

This uses the city-wide San Jose combined rate of 9.375%. Specific addresses can occasionally fall in special districts with slightly different totals, so for exact compliance check the destination rate. Prepared food and many beverages are taxable even though basic groceries are not.