RATE BREAKDOWN
San Jose Sales Tax Rate, Broken Down
| Component | Rate |
|---|---|
| California statewide base rate | 7.25% |
| District taxes in San Jose | 2.75% |
| Total San Jose sales tax | 10% |
2026 SAN JOSE SALES TAX
San Jose Sales Tax 2026
San Jose sales tax is 10.000%, which makes it one of a small number of California cities where the combined rate reaches a round ten cents on the dollar. It is also a quarter point above Santa Clara County's own 9.750% figure, because the city stacks a district tax on top of the countywide ones.
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San Jose, CA · 10%
TOTAL WITH TAX$110.00$10.00 of sales tax
Price 90.9%Sales tax 9.1%
Price before tax$100.00
Sales tax at 10%+$10.00
Total$110.00
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Sales tax is charged on the delivery address, not the billing address, and some goods are exempt or taxed differently. See the methodology and source list.
The calculator is pre-filled at 10.000%. Santa Clara County is a patchwork — the city of Santa Clara, right next door, is lower than San Jose despite sharing a county — so edit the rate if your delivery address is outside the San Jose city limits.
CDTFA ratesEffective July 1, 2026Free to Use
CA SALES TAX
Why San Jose Sales Tax Is Higher Than Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County's published rate is 9.750%. San Jose is 10.000%. The 0.250% gap is a city district tax that applies only inside San Jose's boundaries, layered on top of the district taxes that already apply county-wide.
This is the ordinary way California rates are built: a 7.250% statewide base, then however many voter-approved district taxes cover that specific address. San Jose happens to be covered by 2.750% of them — more than the 2.000% ceiling that usually applies, because the legislature has authorised additional district capacity in some areas.
The practical consequence is that the county figure and the city figure are different numbers, and using the county figure for a San Jose address understates the tax by a quarter point.
CA SALES TAX
Reaching 10% on Real Purchases
A round 10% makes the arithmetic easy and the cost visible. Tax on $1,000 of electronics is exactly $100. On a $40,000 vehicle it would be $4,000 — though vehicles are taxed at the buyer's registration address, so a San Jose dealer selling to a Gilroy resident charges the Gilroy rate.
It also means San Jose sits at or near the top of Bay Area rates. For large, portable purchases the gap against a neighbouring city is real money, which is why the rate is worth checking rather than assuming.
NEARBY RATES
How San Jose Compares Nearby
Santa Clara County rates vary city by city, and several neighbours of San Jose are meaningfully lower. These are the published figures.
| City | Sales tax rate | vs San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | 10% | — |
| Santa Clara | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Sunnyvale | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Mountain View | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Palo Alto | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Cupertino | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Milpitas | 10% | same |
| Campbell | 10.5% | +0.5% |
| Gilroy | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Morgan Hill | 9.75% | −0.25% |
| Los Gatos | 9.875% | −0.125% |
TAXABLE OR NOT
What San Jose Sales Tax Applies To
San Jose is an electronics and vehicle market as much as a grocery one, and those categories are fully taxable. California's exemptions are narrow and are set at state level.
- Computers, phones and consumer electronics are fully taxable at 10.000%
- Unprepared groceries bought to take home are exempt
- Hot prepared food and restaurant meals are taxable
- Prescription medicines are exempt; most over-the-counter medicines are taxable
- Vehicles are taxed at the rate for the buyer's registration address, which may be lower than San Jose's
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
San Jose Sales Tax Questions
What is the rate in San Jose?+
San Jose's combined sales and use tax rate is 10.000%. That breaks down as California's 7.250% statewide base plus 2.750% of district taxes covering the city.
Why is San Jose 10% when the county is 9.75%?+
San Jose levies a city district tax of 0.250% on top of the district taxes that apply across Santa Clara County. Only addresses inside the San Jose city limits pay it, which is why the city rate is a quarter point above the county figure.
How much is sales tax on $100 in San Jose?+
Exactly $10.00, for a total of $110.00. A 10% rate is one of the few in California where the tax is a round tenth of the price.
Is San Jose the highest in Santa Clara County?+
San Jose is at the top end at 10.000%, and several other cities in the county match it. Others, including the city of Santa Clara, stop at the 9.750% county figure. Always check the specific city rather than assuming the county rate applies.
Does the San Jose rate apply to a car bought there?+
Not necessarily. California taxes vehicle purchases at the rate for the address where the vehicle is registered, not where the dealership sits. A San Jose dealer selling to a buyer who registers the car elsewhere charges that other rate.
What rate applies to something shipped to San Jose?+
10.000%, because California sources the sale to the delivery address. The seller's location does not change it, and where a seller does not collect the tax the buyer generally owes use tax at the same rate.
RATE SOURCE
Where These Rates Come From
The 10.000% figure is the CDTFA's published rate for San Jose. District taxes are revised quarterly, and because San Jose carries both county and city district taxes, it can move independently of the rest of Santa Clara County. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates, effective July 1, 2026.
Disclaimer: Use these numbers for planning, not filing. San Jose carries both county and city district taxes and can move independently of the rest of Santa Clara County, so confirm with the CDTFA before filing.
Reviewed by: Paycheck Calculator Editorial Team
Rate table effective: July 1, 2026
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