The Hattiesburg, Mississippi sales tax rate is 7% on most purchases, matching the statewide rate with no extra city-level general sales tax on top. Restaurant meals and hotel stays run 8% because Hattiesburg adds a 1% local tourism tax to those specific transactions. Groceries and motor vehicles are taxed at a reduced 5%.
What the 7% Covers
Mississippi charges 7% on retail sales of tangible personal property, and that rate applies in every city, Hattiesburg included.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates Electronics, clothing, furniture, home goods, and most other physical items you buy from a local retailer all fall under this rate. The price tag plus 7% is what you pay at the register for most everyday purchases.
The city doesn’t collect the tax itself. The Mississippi Department of Revenue handles collection statewide and sends a share back to municipalities to help pay for local roads, public safety, and other services.
Where You’ll Pay 8%: Restaurants and Hotels
Hattiesburg adds a 1% tourism tax to the gross sales of hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars. The levy is authorized by state senate bills and administered by the Department of Revenue rather than the city.2Mississippi Department of Revenue. Hattiesburg Tourism Parks and Recreation Tax It’s currently set to expire on July 1, 2030.
When you eat at a Hattiesburg restaurant, your bill includes the 7% state sales tax plus the 1% tourism tax, for a combined 8%. The same 8% total applies to overnight hotel and motel stays. Hotels and motels with ten or fewer rooms are excluded from the local portion, and restaurants with annual gross sales under $100,000 are exempt from the tourism levy.2Mississippi Department of Revenue. Hattiesburg Tourism Parks and Recreation Tax
Reduced Rates on Certain Goods
Several categories are taxed below the standard 7%:
- Groceries eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits are taxed at 5%. The reduced rate took effect on July 1, 2025, down from 7%. Items that don’t qualify for SNAP, like prepared meals or alcohol, stay at 7%.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates
- Cars and light trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or less are taxed at 5%.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates
- Farm tractors, farm implements, and parts and labor for maintaining that equipment are taxed at 1.5% when used for agricultural purposes.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates
- Machinery used directly in manufacturing or processing is also taxed at 1.5%.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates
Services Are Taxed, Too
Mississippi applies the 7% rate to a broad list of services, not just goods. If you hire a plumber, electrician, or auto mechanic in Hattiesburg, the labor charge carries sales tax. The same goes for pest control, landscaping, car washes, jewelry repair, computer software services, and laundry or dry cleaning.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates This catches many people off guard because plenty of other states only tax goods. Utilities such as electricity, natural gas, and water are also taxed at 7%, as are telecommunications services.
Online Orders Shipped to Hattiesburg
Mississippi sales tax applies to online purchases delivered to a Hattiesburg address. Remote sellers with more than $250,000 in gross sales into Mississippi during any twelve-month period must register with the Department of Revenue and collect tax. The state uses a revenue-only threshold, with no separate transaction-count trigger.3Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax Guidance for Online Sellers
Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay collect and remit Mississippi sales tax on behalf of third-party sellers under the state’s marketplace facilitator law. Collection is based on the shipping address, so a Hattiesburg delivery gets the standard 7% on most goods. For purchases from smaller out-of-state sellers who don’t meet the nexus threshold and don’t collect Mississippi tax, you technically owe use tax at the same 7% rate.
Exemptions You Might Encounter
Some sales are exempt from Mississippi sales tax entirely. Sales to federal, state, and local government agencies are tax-free, though sales to national banks are not covered by that exemption.4Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Exemptions Sales to qualifying nonprofit and religious organizations may also be exempt, though the buyer typically needs to present a valid exemption certificate at the time of purchase.
Items purchased with SNAP benefits are fully exempt from sales tax. That’s a separate benefit from the reduced 5% rate on SNAP-eligible groceries bought with cash or a card.1Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales Tax Rates
If You’re Collecting the Tax
Any business making taxable sales in Hattiesburg has to register with the Mississippi Department of Revenue.5Mississippi Department of Revenue. Register for Taxes Registration runs through the Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) portal, which is also where returns are filed and payments are made. Returns are due on or before the 20th day of the month following each reporting period, with weekends and holidays bumping the deadline to the next business day.6Mississippi Department of Revenue. Mississippi Sales and Use Taxes Businesses with more than one sales tax account or location must file through TAP instead of on paper.7Mississippi Department of Revenue. Online Filing When you prepare a return, separate gross sales into the correct rate categories so the 7%, 5%, and reduced-rate amounts each report accurately.