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Editor’s note: This is a transcript of the audio file.
Holiday sales are off the charts this year – which means great savings for you! But, if you live in a state with high-sales tax, those savings quickly shrink. I’m Lisa Weinberger with your Bankrate.com Personal Finance Minute.
Does your city have a high sales tax rate? Every state has their own tax rates and depending on the city, some places you’ll pay as much as an extra 10 percent at the register.
Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama top the list with the highest sales tax of 10-percent…followed by Long Beach and Los Angeles at 9.75 percent.
When planning out your holiday wish list, decide if traveling to another city or state to shop is worth the savings in taxes.
With Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals, shopping online may be an alternative to crowded stores – and of course, it could lower the amount of state sales tax, IF you get free shipping.
Some states have no sales tax; and certain necessities like food, clothing and shoes are exempt from sales tax in other states.
No matter where you live, city sales tax rates is just something we all have to pay. To learn more about tax rates, visit Bankrate.com. I’m Lisa Weinberger.
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