Sales tax in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
There is no single sales tax rate in Northwest Arctic Borough. It runs from 0% to 6.5% depending on the exact address, because cities and special districts inside the county levy their own on top of the 0% state rate. The 0% state rate applies everywhere in the county; everything above that depends on where you are standing. These rates were read from Alaska's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.
What is the sales tax rate in Northwest Arctic Borough?
| Alaska state rate | 0% |
|---|---|
| Lowest combined rate in the county | 0% |
| Highest combined rate in the county | 6.5% |
The combined figures are the lowest and highest totals anywhere in Northwest Arctic Borough, so the rows above do not add up to them.
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Northwest Arctic Borough?
At 0%, a $100 purchase carries $0.00 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $0.00, at the lowest rate in the county. At the highest, 6.5%, the same purchases carry $6.50 and $65.00. That is general merchandise; Alaska taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Northwest Arctic Borough's lowest rate is the lowest in Alaska, shared with 16 other counties. See every Alaska county.
Sales tax in counties next to Northwest Arctic Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough borders 3 counties.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Nome Census Area, AK | 0% to 5% |
| North Slope Borough, AK | 0% to 7% |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK | 0% to 4% |
| Northwest Arctic Borough, AK (this county) | 0% to 6.5% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
Alaska levies no state sales tax, and the Northwest Arctic Borough levies none, so the borough line is not a tax boundary. Cities set the rate: Selawik 6.5 percent, Buckland and Kotzebue 6 percent, Noorvik 4 percent, Ambler, Deering, Kiana and Kobuk 3 percent, and Kivalina and Shungnak 2 percent. Unincorporated areas charge nothing.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Use Alaska's own address lookup. In Northwest Arctic Borough the rate depends on the address, anywhere from 0% to 6.5%.
Who has to collect sales tax in Northwest Arctic Borough?
Any seller with a physical presence in Alaska collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes Alaska's economic nexus threshold. Alaska sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.
Work out your own numbers
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Sales tax calculator
Tax on a specific purchase at this county's rate, and the total you will actually pay.
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Do you have to collect?
Whether your sales into Alaska cross its economic nexus threshold. A different question from the rate.
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Property tax in Northwest Arctic Borough
The other local tax: effective rate and median bill for this county.
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Sales tax by county
Every US county, and how Alaska compares with the rest of the country.
Sources
- Northwest Arctic Borough rates: Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Office of the State Assessor, Alaska Taxable municipal tax survey, published as the DCCED Taxes: All Locations dataset (tax year 2025; earlier reported year used where a municipality did not report for 2025)
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, P on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).