Alaska Reverse Sales Tax Calculator
Alaska has no state sales tax — it's one of only five states in the US with no state-level tax. But that doesn't mean all Alaskan purchases are tax-free. Municipalities can levy their own sales taxes, and many do. Juneau charges 5%, Sitka 6%, and Ketchikan 8%. Anchorage and Fairbanks, by contrast, have no local sales tax at all, making them genuinely tax-free for most purchases.
The statewide average (1.82%) is low only because population-heavy Anchorage and Fairbanks bring it down significantly. If you're reconciling receipts from Alaska, the rate you need depends entirely on which city the purchase was made in. Enter the local rate for that city, or 0% for Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Current Alaska Sales Tax Rates
| Component | Rate |
|---|---|
| State rate | 0.00% |
| Average local rate | 1.82% |
| Average combined rate | 1.82% |
| Location | Combined Rate |
|---|---|
| Anchorage | 0.00% |
| Juneau | 5.00% |
| Fairbanks | 0.00% |
| Sitka | 6.00% |
What's Taxable in Alaska
Alaska has no state sales tax. Local jurisdictions set their own rules — some tax groceries, some exempt them. Anchorage and Fairbanks have no local sales tax at all. Check with the specific municipality for their rules on food and drug exemptions.
Worked Example
Purchase in Juneau totaling $105.00 at 5.00%.
$105.00 ÷ 1.0500 = $100.00 (pre-tax price)
$105.00 − $100.00 = $5.00 (tax amount)
That's $5.00 in sales tax on a $100.00 purchase before tax. The main calculator handles this automatically — enter the total and rate and the breakdown appears instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alaska has no state-level sales tax — one of only five states with no state sales tax. However, municipalities can and do impose their own local taxes. Juneau charges 5%, Sitka 6%, Ketchikan 8%. Anchorage and Fairbanks have no local sales tax either, making them completely sales-tax-free.
Juneau: 5%, Sitka: 6%, Ketchikan: 8%, Petersburg: 6%, Wrangell: 7%. Anchorage and Fairbanks have no local sales tax. If you're buying something in Anchorage, you pay zero sales tax on most purchases.
Divide the total amount paid by (1 + the tax rate as a decimal). For Alaska's 1.82% rate: divide by 1.0182. The result is the pre-tax price. Subtract that from the total to get the tax amount. The calculator on this page does this automatically.
Alaska has no state sales tax, so there is no statewide sales tax holiday. Individual municipalities may run local promotions but these are rare.