Cities in Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, and Alaska generally have no state-level sales tax, offering tax-free shopping. Key, specific cities with zero or near-zero sales tax include Portland, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska (no city sales tax, though some boroughs do); and all of Delaware. While Montana has no state tax, some resort towns do.
Portland, Oregon, and Anchorage, Alaska, have no state or local sales taxes. Richmond, Virginia has 5.3 percent state sales tax. Honolulu, Hawaii, has a low sales tax rate of 4.5 percent, but the tax applies broadly to goods and services when compared with sales tax from other locations.
Yes, you can buy most items in Oregon and avoid sales tax because Oregon has no statewide or local general sales tax, making purchases like clothing, electronics, and groceries cheaper at the point of sale. The only major exception is for new vehicles purchased out-of-state that are registered in Oregon, which incur a use tax, but vehicles bought within Oregon have no sales tax added.
New Hampshire has no sales tax at either the state or local level. Businesses must comply with the state's tax laws, however, which include the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and Business Enterprise Tax (BET). The state also has an 8.5% tax on meals and room rentals, known as the Meals and Rooms tax.
Generally, New Hampshire is cheaper to live in than Vermont, primarily due to Vermont's higher taxes (income, sales) and higher costs for groceries and utilities, though New Hampshire has higher property taxes and car registration fees, making the overall picture complex but favoring NH for overall affordability and lower taxes.
It's not inherently better, but living in a state with no income tax can be financially advantageous by increasing take-home pay, especially for high earners, retirees, and business owners, as it simplifies taxes and keeps more income for savings or investments. However, these states often compensate with higher sales, property, or excise taxes, meaning the overall tax burden and cost of living (housing, insurance) must be considered, as a lack of income tax doesn't always mean lower overall costs or better public services.
States with the lowest combined sales taxes:
Nine U.S. states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, though Washington does tax long-term capital gains, and New Hampshire is phasing out its interest/dividend tax. However, a lack of income tax doesn't mean lower overall taxes, as these states often rely on higher sales, property, or other specific taxes, like Florida's high homeowners' insurance or Texas's property taxes, to fund services, so consider the total tax burden, not just income tax.
Bad things about living in Delaware include heavy traffic, especially in summer and around beaches; limited public transportation and big-city amenities like major sports; coastal flooding risks; high allergies (goldenrod); concerns about crime and drugs in certain areas like Wilmington; and potential healthcare access issues and high costs for some services. The small state offers less geographic diversity, but its proximity to major cities like Philly and D.C. can be a draw.
Yes, Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware offers tax-free shopping on all purchases, as Delaware is one of the few states with no state or local sales tax, making it a major draw for shoppers from surrounding states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. You can shop tax-free at stores like Nordstrom, Apple, Cabela's, and many others located within the mall and its connected centers, with savings applying to everything from electronics to clothing and dining.
Many states don't tax basic groceries, with some (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon) having no state sales tax at all, while others exempt food from their general sales tax, like Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, according to Stripe,, though local taxes or taxes on prepared/soda/candy often apply. The key is the distinction between groceries for home consumption (often exempt) and prepared foods or snacks (usually taxed).
The hidden costs of living in the no sales tax states include; higher property taxes, excise taxes and higher income taxes.
The "NOMAD" states are New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Delaware—the five U.S. states that don't have a statewide general sales tax, though some have local sales taxes or other specific business taxes. They are popular for businesses and consumers seeking to avoid state sales tax, but each has unique tax structures, such as gross receipts tax in Delaware or local taxes in parts of Alaska and Montana.
Legal sales tax exemptions have been made for a number of cases:
Instead of sales tax, Oregon's public services are primarily funded through income and property taxes. Numerous attempts to introduce statewide sales tax have been struck down by voters. This strategy has made everyday transactions tax-free, distinguishing Oregon as one of the handful of states with no sales tax.
One big perk of buying a car in Oregon is that the state does not charge sales tax. This can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to buying in a state that does.
Kuwait has no taxes on personal income. Expats from other countries can use one of the long-term visa categories to move to Kuwait. It is extremely difficult to obtain citizenship in this country, as the naturalisation process takes at least 20 years.