Minnesota: Sales Tax Handbook

What purchases are taxable in Minnesota?

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 Minnesota sales tax.

Section 1: Taxability of Goods and Services

What transactions are generally subject to sales tax in Minnesota?

In the state of Minnesota, 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 products intended for babies, clothes, and over the counter medications.

This means that someone in the state of Michigan who sells books would be required to charge sales tax, but an individual who owns a store which sells clothing is required to charge sales tax.

Are services subject to sales tax in Minnesota?

In the state of Minnesota, 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 Minnesota?

In the state of Minnesota, 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 then the shipping cost is usually considered to be taxable as well, and if the item being shipped is not taxable, then the shipping cost is not considered taxable either. If both taxable and non-taxable items are being shipped together, the percentage(based on the sale price or weight of the item or items in question) of the shipping charge that relates to the taxable items must be taxed.

Are drop shipments subject to sales tax in Minnesota?

"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 Minnesota, drop shipments are generally subject to state sales taxes.

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Section 2: Taxability of Various Items in Minnesota

This table shows the taxability of various goods and services in Minnesota. 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