What is the Colorado state sales tax rate in 2025?

Colorado levies a statewide retail sales tax of 2.9% as of 2025, making it one of the lowest state-level sales-tax rates in the United States. The rate is set under Colorado Revised Statutes Title 39, Article 26 (the Retail Sales Tax Act) and has remained at 2.9% for many years. However, because cities, counties, and special taxing districts all layer their own rates on top, the combined rate most Colorado residents actually pay ranges from about 6% to 9% or more. Denver, for example, has a combined rate of around 8.81%, while Boulder reaches 8.845% when the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and other special-district levies are included.

Why is the combined Colorado sales tax so much higher than 2.9%?

Colorado uses a home-rule system that allows municipalities to administer their own sales taxes independently. On top of the 2.9% state base, you typically pay a county rate (often 0.25% to 1.3%), a city rate (ranging from 0% in unincorporated areas to 4.81% in Denver), and special-district levies such as the Regional Transportation District (RTD, 1.1%), the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD, 0.1%), and stadium or improvement districts. These layers compound quickly — Denver alone adds 4.81 percentage points to the state base, reaching 8.81% combined.

How do I calculate Colorado sales tax on a purchase?

Multiply the pre-tax price by the combined rate (state 2.9% plus all local add-ons as a decimal). For example, a $150 purchase in Denver (combined 8.81%) carries a tax of $150 x 0.0881 = $13.22, giving a total of $163.22. Enter the amount and select the Denver preset in this calculator and it performs that arithmetic instantly, splitting the result into state and local portions.

How do I remove Colorado sales tax from a price that already includes tax?

Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + combined rate as a decimal). For Denver at 8.81%: if you paid $163.22, divide by 1.0881 to get $150.00 pre-tax. Switch this calculator to "Remove tax from a total" mode, enter $163.22, select the Denver preset, and it returns the exact pre-tax figure and the tax amount embedded in your total.

Which Colorado cities have the highest combined sales tax rates?

Among major Colorado cities in 2025, Boulder has one of the highest combined rates at around 8.845%, followed closely by Denver at 8.81%, Thornton at 8.75%, and Westminster at about 8.6%. Smaller resort-oriented municipalities and some metropolitan-district-heavy suburbs can push combined rates even higher. At the lower end, unincorporated areas of Weld County (where Greeley sits) have a combined rate closer to 7%, because Weld County levies no county-wide sales tax on most goods. Always verify the exact rate for your specific address at the Colorado Department of Revenue website (tax.colorado.gov), as rates change at every election cycle.

Are groceries and food taxed in Colorado?

Colorado exempts most food for home consumption — essentially unprepared grocery-store food — from the 2.9% state sales tax. However, prepared food (restaurant meals, fast food, takeaway) is fully taxable. Importantly, many Colorado home-rule cities such as Denver and Colorado Springs do apply their own local sales tax to groceries even when the state exempts them, so the full combined rate may still apply at certain retailers. This calculator covers standard retail and restaurant transactions; for grocery-specific rates, check the municipality's published tax guide.

Colorado Sales Tax Calculator 2025 — 2.9% State Rate + Local

Colorado levies a statewide retail sales tax of just 2.9% — one of the lowest state-level rates in the United States. That headline figure is deceptively low, however, because Colorado’s home-rule system lets cities, counties, and special districts stack their own levies on top. By the time you factor in a city rate, a county rate, and special-district charges such as the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the combined rate most Coloradans pay sits between 7% and 9%. This calculator uses the real 2.9% Colorado state rate as a locked preset, adds an editable local-rate field pre-filled with the statewide average, and works in both directions: Add (pre-tax price to total) and Remove (total back to pre-tax amount).

How it works

The tool runs two formulas entirely in your browser, with no data ever sent to a server.

Add mode — enter a pre-tax price and the calculator applies the combined rate:

Total tax = Pre-tax price x Combined rate Total = Pre-tax price + Total tax

Remove (reverse) mode — enter a tax-inclusive total and the calculator extracts the pre-tax component:

Pre-tax = Total / (1 + Combined rate) Tax included = Total - Pre-tax

The combined rate is the sum of the Colorado state sales tax (2.9%, fixed) and the local rate you set. The results panel splits the tax into a state portion and a local portion so you can see exactly how each layer of government is being paid.

Colorado’s layered sales-tax system explained

Colorado’s 2.9% state base is collected by the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) and goes to the state general fund. On top of that, four additional layers can apply depending on your exact location:

County sales tax — typically 0.25% to 1.3%. Weld County (Greeley) famously levies no county-wide sales tax on most goods, while Boulder County charges 0.985%.
City or town sales tax — the biggest variable. Denver (a consolidated city-county) charges 4.81%; Fort Collins 3.85%; Colorado Springs 3.12%; unincorporated county areas often 0%.
Regional Transportation District (RTD) — a 1.1% levy covering the Denver metro area. Residents of Fort Collins, Pueblo, and other areas outside the RTD boundary do not pay this.
Other special districts — the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD, 0.1% in the Denver metro), stadium districts, business-improvement districts, and others.

The statewide average combined rate is approximately 8.0% once all layers are population-weighted. Denver reaches 8.81%, Boulder 8.845% (including RTD and SCFD), and resort-heavy mountain communities can go even higher.

Worked example

A customer buys a laptop for $800 in Denver (combined rate 8.81%):

Colorado state tax: $800 x 0.029 = $23.20
Local add-on: $800 x 0.0581 = $46.48
Total tax: $69.68
Total paid: $869.68

Now reverse it — you have a $869.68 receipt and need the pre-tax figure:

$869.68 / 1.0881 = $800.00 pre-tax

City	Combined rate	Tax on $800	Total
Denver	8.81%	$70.48	$870.48
Colorado Springs	8.20%	$65.60	$865.60
Boulder	8.845%	$70.76	$870.76
Fort Collins	7.55%	$60.40	$860.40
Greeley	7.01%	$56.08	$856.08

Every result is computed in your browser — nothing is transmitted to any server.

Note on groceries: The 2.9% Colorado state sales tax does not apply to most unprepared food for home consumption (groceries). However, Denver, Colorado Springs, and many other home-rule cities still levy their own city sales tax on groceries. The rates in this calculator apply to standard retail and restaurant purchases. For grocery-specific rates, consult the individual municipality’s published sales-tax guide or the CDOR lookup tool at tax.colorado.gov.