The Brooklyn Park, MN sales tax rate is 8.525% as of 2026. That total is a stack of five separate taxes layered on by the state, Hennepin County, and the Twin Cities metro area, and it applies to most retail purchases at the register. Several everyday categories are exempt, and a few purchases follow different rules entirely.1Minnesota Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide 2026 Q2
What Makes Up the 8.525%
Five taxes combine into the single rate you see on a receipt. Each one funds a different level of government.
- Minnesota state sales tax: 6.875%. This is the base rate charged statewide, made up of the original 6.5% general sales tax plus a 0.375% addition approved by voters in 2008 through a constitutional amendment.2Minnesota House of Representatives. Minnesota Sales and Use Tax
- Hennepin County transit tax: 0.50%, funding transit improvements across the county.3Hennepin County. Local Sales and Use Tax
- Metro area transportation tax: 0.75%, a regional tax across the Twin Cities metro supporting bus and rail systems.4Minnesota Department of Revenue. Metro Area Transportation Sales and Use Tax
- Metro area housing tax: 0.25%, earmarked for affordable housing programs in the region.1Minnesota Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide 2026 Q2
- Hennepin County ballpark tax: 0.15%, originally authorized to help finance Target Field in Minneapolis and still collected countywide.3Hennepin County. Local Sales and Use Tax
Brooklyn Park does not add a city-level general sales tax on top of these. The 8.525% total is the same across most of Hennepin County’s metro cities. Neighboring cities outside the county or outside the metro transit district will typically land at a lower combined rate.
What’s Exempt from Sales Tax
Minnesota exempts several categories of everyday purchases, and those exemptions apply in Brooklyn Park just as they do statewide.
Clothing
Most clothing is tax-free in Minnesota regardless of price, covering everyday apparel and footwear meant for general wear. The exemption does not reach everything you can wear. Fur clothing, sports and recreational equipment such as cleated shoes or ski boots, protective gear like hard hats and safety goggles, and accessories such as jewelry, handbags, and watches are all taxable.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
Groceries
Food and food ingredients sold for home preparation are exempt. Think produce, meat, dairy, bread, frozen meals, and similar staples. Candy, soft drinks, dietary supplements, and prepared food don’t qualify. “Prepared food” broadly means anything sold hot, anything where the seller mixed two or more ingredients for you, or food sold with utensils like plates or forks. Restaurant meals, hot deli items, and catered food are taxed at the full 8.525%.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
Drugs and Medical Items
Prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, insulin, prosthetic devices, hearing aids, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and durable medical equipment for home use are all exempt. Over-the-counter drugs qualify as long as the packaging includes a “drug facts” label or lists active ingredients. Grooming and hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and sunscreen do not qualify even when they carry a drug facts panel.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions Diabetic supplies, including finger-prick devices, blood glucose monitors, and single-use diagnostic agents, are also exempt.6Minnesota Department of Revenue. Health Product Exemptions
Buying a Car: 6.875%, Not 8.525%
Vehicle purchases follow a different rule. Motor vehicles are taxed at 6.875%, the same percentage as the state general rate, but the Hennepin County and metro add-ons do not apply.7Minnesota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales You pay 6.875% on a car in Brooklyn Park, not 8.525%. This is one of the few situations where the local components drop off.
Hotel Stays: An Extra 3%
Brooklyn Park imposes a 3% local lodging tax on hotel and motel stays of 30 days or less. That charge sits on top of the 8.525% sales tax, so a short-term guest pays a combined rate above 11% on the room. The lodging tax appears as its own line item on a hotel bill, separate from the standard sales tax charge, and the revenue supports local tourism and marketing.
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
If you buy something online or from an out-of-state seller and no sales tax is collected at checkout, you owe Minnesota use tax at the same combined rate that would have applied locally, which is 8.525% for Brooklyn Park residents. This commonly comes up with purchases from small out-of-state retailers, private-party sales, and items bought while traveling.8Minnesota Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax
Most large online retailers already collect Minnesota sales tax, so this obligation mostly affects purchases from smaller sellers or transactions where no tax was charged. You can report and pay use tax through the Department of Revenue’s online services or by submitting a paper form.