The sales tax rate in Akron, Ohio is 6.75%. That’s the figure you’ll see added at the register on most retail purchases inside the city, and it’s the same rate throughout Summit County. The city of Akron itself does not add a local sales tax on top.
How the 6.75% Rate Is Built
Three separate taxes combine to make the Akron rate:
- 5.75% Ohio state sales tax1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 5739.02 – Levy of Sales Tax
- 0.50% Summit County permissive tax, authorized under a separate statute that caps county rates at 1.5% in most cases2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 5739.021 – Additional Sales Tax Levied by County
- 0.50% regional transit authority tax3Ohio Department of Taxation. Sales and Use Tax Rate Map
Akron does levy a municipal income tax, but that is a separate obligation and has nothing to do with the sales tax on your receipt.
What Akron’s Sales Tax Applies To
Ohio taxes tangible personal property, which covers the physical items you’d expect: clothing, electronics, furniture, motor vehicles, and prewritten computer software. It also covers utilities like electricity, water, gas, and steam, along with downloadable digital goods such as e-books, music, and movies.4Ohio Department of Taxation. Sales and Use Taxability
Services work differently. Ohio only taxes services that are specifically named in the statute. If a service isn’t on that list, it isn’t taxed. Taxable services include repairs to tangible personal property, certain telecommunications, commercial landscaping, laundry and dry cleaning, and short-term lodging of fewer than 30 consecutive days.
What’s Exempt
Groceries are the exemption most residents notice. Food bought for consumption off the premises where it’s sold is not taxed.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 5739.02 – Levy of Sales Tax The practical line catches people off guard: eat your meal inside a restaurant and it’s taxed; take the same meal through the drive-through and it isn’t. Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and dietary supplements are always taxable, because Ohio’s definition of “food” specifically excludes them.5Ohio Department of Taxation. Everyday Purchases
Other common exemptions:
- Prescription drugs dispensed by a licensed pharmacist
- Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Certain medical devices, including prosthetic limbs
- Items bought for resale by a licensed vendor who provides a valid exemption certificate
- Materials used directly in manufacturing
The Annual Sales Tax Holiday
Ohio runs a back-to-school sales tax holiday each August, and it applies in Akron the same way it does statewide. In 2026, the holiday runs from 12:00 a.m. on Friday, August 7 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 9.6Ohio Department of Taxation. Ohio Sales Tax Holiday 2026 During that window you pay no sales tax on:
- Clothing priced at $75 or less per item, including shoes, coats, uniforms, and diapers
- School supplies priced at $20 or less per item, such as notebooks, pens, pencils, calculators, folders, and binders
- School instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item, including textbooks, workbooks, reference books, reference maps, and globes
The price caps apply to each item individually, not to the whole transaction. A $70 pair of shoes qualifies even if your total cart is well over $75. Anything priced above the threshold stays fully taxable during the holiday.
Use Tax on Online and Out-of-State Purchases
If you buy something from an out-of-state seller that doesn’t charge Ohio sales tax, you still owe Ohio tax on it at the same 6.75% rate. This is called use tax, and it exists so people can’t skip Ohio tax by routing their purchases through sellers outside the state.7Ohio Department of Taxation. Sales and Use Tax
In practice, most large online retailers and marketplace platforms now collect Ohio tax automatically, so untaxed purchases have become less common. Where use tax still shows up is on purchases from foreign websites, private sellers, and small vendors that don’t meet Ohio’s collection thresholds. Individual consumers can report and pay use tax on their Ohio income tax return.
If You Sell in Akron: The Basics
Any business making taxable retail sales in Ohio needs a vendor’s license before its first sale. The application asks for your business name, every location where you’ll make sales, the nature of the business, and other details on the Tax Commissioner’s form, typically including a NAICS code and either a Federal Employer Identification Number or, for sole proprietors, a Social Security Number.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 5739.17 – Vendors License The license fee is $50 per fixed location.9Ohio Department of Taxation. Vendors License Fee Change Coming Soon You can apply through the Summit County Auditor’s office or electronically through the Ohio Business Gateway.
Vendors file returns and pay through the Ohio Business Gateway.10Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 5739.12 – Monthly Return by Vendor – Reconciliation Return The default filing frequency is monthly, with returns due by the 23rd of the following month. January sales, for instance, are due by February 23.7Ohio Department of Taxation. Sales and Use Tax If the 23rd lands on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The Tax Commissioner may authorize quarterly filing for vendors with lower volumes. Businesses with more than $75,000 in annual tax liability must pay electronically.
Ohio treats collected sales tax as a trust tax: the money belongs to the state the moment the customer pays it. Late filing triggers a penalty of up to 10% of the tax owed or $50, whichever is greater, plus interest from the original due date. Vendors who file and pay on time qualify for a discount of 0.75% of the tax due, capped at $750 per license per monthly period starting in 2026.11Ohio Department of Taxation. ST 2025-02 – Vendor Timely Filing Discount – December 2025 The discount disappears entirely if the return or payment is even one day late.