What is the Wisconsin sales tax rate in 2025?

Wisconsin levies a statewide sales tax of 5% as of 2025. This rate has been in place since 1986 and is set by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. On top of the state rate, most counties add a 0.5% county sales tax and some cities add a further 0.1%, so the most common combined rates are 5.5% (county only) and 5.6% (county plus city). The statewide average combined rate is approximately 5.43%.

Does every Wisconsin county charge a local sales tax?

Most Wisconsin counties levy an additional 0.5% county sales tax, but not all do. Some smaller or rural counties have opted out, meaning buyers there pay only the 5% state rate. A handful of municipalities also layer on a city-level 0.1% tax — Milwaukee and Racine are the most prominent examples. Always check the Wisconsin DOR rate lookup at revenue.wi.gov for the exact rate in your ZIP code.

How do I calculate Wisconsin sales tax on a purchase?

Multiply the pre-tax price by the combined rate (state 5% plus your local rate). For example, a $150 item in Madison (Dane County, combined 5.5%) has a tax of $150 x 0.055 = $8.25, for a total of $158.25. This calculator performs that arithmetic instantly and separates the state and local portions.

How do I remove Wisconsin sales tax from a total?

Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + combined rate as a decimal). For Madison at 5.5%: $158.25 / 1.055 = $150.00 pre-tax. Switch the calculator to "Remove tax from a total" mode, enter the receipt total, and it will extract both the pre-tax amount and the tax already charged.

Are food and groceries taxed in Wisconsin?

Most food sold for home consumption (groceries) is exempt from Wisconsin sales tax at both the state and county level. However, prepared food — items sold ready to eat, such as restaurant meals, deli hot foods, and candy — is fully taxable at the combined rate. The distinction matters for retailers who handle both taxable and exempt food categories.

What purchases are exempt from Wisconsin sales tax?

Wisconsin exempts several broad categories beyond groceries: prescription drugs, certain medical devices, most farm equipment and supplies used in agricultural production, and manufacturing machinery used directly in production. Occasional sales (private party vehicle sales between individuals) are generally not subject to sales tax either. The calculator covers standard retail transactions; consult the Wisconsin DOR for industry-specific exemption rules.

Wisconsin Sales Tax Calculator 2025 — 5% State Rate + Local

Wisconsin imposes a statewide sales tax of 5% — a rate that has been stable since 1986 and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR). On top of this base rate most Wisconsin counties levy an additional 0.5% county sales tax, and certain municipalities add a further 0.1% city tax, making the most common combined rates 5.5% (county only) or 5.6% (county plus city). This calculator locks in the real 5% state rate as a preset, lets you adjust the local portion using a county/city dropdown or by typing a custom figure, and works in both directions: Add tax to a pre-tax price or Remove tax from a tax-inclusive total.

How it works

All arithmetic runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to any server. Two formulas cover both modes:

Add mode — enter a pre-tax price, receive the total you will pay at checkout:

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

Remove (reverse) mode — enter a tax-inclusive receipt total, extract the net price and the tax already embedded:

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

The combined rate is the Wisconsin state rate (5%, fixed) plus whatever local rate you select or type. The results panel breaks the tax into its state and local components so you can see the exact split between state revenue and county/city revenue.

Wisconsin sales-tax structure explained

Wisconsin’s sales tax system has three tiers:

State rate — 5%. Set by statute (Wis. Stat. sec. 77.52), unchanged since 1986. Collected by all retailers on taxable sales statewide.
County rate — 0.5%. Most Wisconsin counties have adopted a 0.5% county sales tax under a separate enabling statute. The proceeds stay in the county. Not every county participates, but the majority do.
City / special district rate — 0.1%. Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and a small number of other municipalities have enacted an additional 0.1% tax, often to fund specific local purposes such as school district operations (Milwaukee) or transit/sewer districts.

The statewide average combined rate is approximately 5.43% once all counties are weighted by population. The practical range for most shoppers is 5.0% to 5.6%.

Worked example

A customer buys a new laptop priced at $899 in Milwaukee (combined rate 5.6%):

Wisconsin state tax: $899 x 0.05 = $44.95
Local tax (Milwaukee): $899 x 0.006 = $5.39
Total tax: $50.34
Total paid: $949.34

Now the same buyer returns the laptop and needs to confirm the pre-tax value from the $949.34 receipt:

$949.34 / 1.056 = $899.00 pre-tax

City / Area	Combined rate	Tax on $899	Total
Milwaukee	5.6%	$50.34	$949.34
Madison	5.5%	$49.45	$948.45
Green Bay	5.5%	$49.45	$948.45
Appleton	5.5%	$49.45	$948.45
State only	5.0%	$44.95	$943.95

Every figure is computed locally in your browser. No data leaves your device.

Note on state rate: The Wisconsin state sales tax rate is 5%. The typical combined rate including county tax is 5.5%, and with city add-ons the maximum common rate is 5.6%. Grocery food for home consumption is exempt; restaurant meals and prepared food are fully taxable. For the exact rate in any Wisconsin ZIP code, use the Wisconsin DOR rate lookup at revenue.wi.gov.