Sales tax in Guilford County, North Carolina

Updated

The sales tax rate in Guilford County, North Carolina is 6.75%. That is a 4.75% state rate plus a 2% county rate, and it is the same at every address in the county. That rate was read from North Carolina's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.

What is the sales tax rate in Guilford County?

Sales tax rate components in Guilford County, North Carolina
North Carolina state rate4.75%
Guilford County rate2%
Combined rate6.75%

How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Guilford County?

At 6.75%, a $100 purchase carries $6.75 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $67.50. That is general merchandise; North Carolina taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.

Guilford County's rate is the lowest in North Carolina, shared with 49 other counties. See every North Carolina county.

Sales tax in counties next to Guilford County

Guilford County borders 6 counties.

Guilford County and its neighbors, highest rate first
CountyCombined sales tax
Davidson County, NC7%
Forsyth County, NC7%
Randolph County, NC7%
Rockingham County, NC7%
Alamance County, NC6.75%
Stokes County, NC6.75%
Guilford County, NC (this county)6.75%

Why the rate here is not the whole story

North Carolina's state rate is 4.75 percent and Guilford County levies a local sales and use tax of 2 percent, for a combined 6.75 percent that applies at every address in the county. North Carolina cities and towns cannot levy a general sales tax of their own, so the county is the only jurisdiction below the state that levies, and the Department's Gen 562 chart lists this same rate for every city and zip code in the county. Qualifying food is taxed differently: only a 2 percent local rate applies to groceries and the state and transit rates do not, so a grocery receipt shows 2 percent rather than the combined rate. Prepared meal taxes imposed and administered by some local jurisdictions are a separate tax and are not included in this rate.

How do I find the exact rate for an address in Guilford County?

Use North Carolina's own address lookup.

Who has to collect sales tax in Guilford County?

Any seller with a physical presence in North Carolina collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes North Carolina's economic nexus threshold. North Carolina sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.

Work out your own numbers

Sources