Michigan: Sales Tax Handbook

What purchases are taxable in Michigan?

The taxability of various transactions (like services and shipping) can vary from state to state, as do policies on subjects such as whether excise taxes or installation fees included in the purchase price are also subject sales tax. This reference is here to help answer your questions about what is and is not subject to the Michigan sales tax.

Section 1: Taxability of Goods and Services

What transactions are generally subject to sales tax in Michigan?

In the state of Michigan, sales tax is legally required to be collected from all tangible, physical products being sold to a consumer. Several examples of exceptions to this tax are vehicles which are sold specifically to relatives of the seller, certain types of equipment which is used in the agricultural business, or some types of industrial machinery.

This means that someone in the state of Michigan who sells books would be required to charge sales tax, but an individual who sells a car to their sister's youngest son would not be required to charge sales tax.

Are services subject to sales tax in Michigan?

In the state of Michigan, services are not generally considered to be taxable. While most services are exempt from tax, there are a few exceptions. For example, a service who's work includes creating or manufacturing a product is very likely considered to be taxable, and thus you would most likely have to pay sales tax on the service.

You can find a table describing the taxability of common types of services later on this page.

Are shipping & handling subject to sales tax in Michigan?

In the state of Michigan, the laws regarding tax on shipping and handling costs are relatively simple. Essentially, if the item being shipped to the buyer is considered to be taxable, and the purchaser has tax nexus in the state of Michigan then the shipping and handling costs is usually considered to be taxable as well, and if the item being shipped is not taxable, then the shipping and handling costs is not considered taxable either. However, it must be noted that charges are also excluded if the seller is involved in an entirely seperate delivery business, or if the charge is applied after the ownership of the item in question passes to the purchaser. If both taxable and non-taxable items are being shipped together, the percentage of the shipping charge that relates to the taxable items must be taxed.

Are drop shipments subject to sales tax in Michigan?

"Drop shipping" refers to the common business practice in which a vendor, often in a different state, makes a sale of a product which is shipped to the end-user by a third party supplier hired by the initial vendor. In Michigan, drop shipments are generally subject to state sales taxes.

Top

Section 2: Taxability of Various Items in Michigan

This table shows the taxability of various goods and services in Michigan. If you are interested in the sales tax on vehicle sales, see the car sales tax page instead. Scroll to view the full table, and click any category for more details.

* See notes in category taxability page for details