Jacksonville AR Sales Tax Rate: 9.5%, Groceries, and Holidays

The Jacksonville AR sales tax rate is 9.5% on most retail purchases, combining a 6.5% Arkansas state tax, a 1.0% Pulaski County tax, and a 2.0% Jacksonville city tax. Groceries are the big exception. As of January 1, 2026, the state portion on food for home consumption dropped to zero, so qualifying groceries are taxed at just 3% inside the city.

Where the 9.5% Goes

Every taxable sale at a Jacksonville register includes three layers of tax, each flowing to a different government:

Retailers collect the full 9.5% at checkout and remit everything to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which then returns the local shares to the county and city. The rate applies to most tangible goods and many services.

Groceries Are Taxed at 3%

Effective January 1, 2026, Arkansas reduced its state tax on food and food ingredients to 0%.3Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. State Sales and Use Tax Rate Changes The Pulaski County 1.0% and Jacksonville 2.0% levies still apply, so qualifying food is taxed at 3% rather than 9.5%.

The reduced rate covers food and food ingredients purchased for home preparation. Several categories are excluded and stay at the full 9.5%:4Justia. Arkansas Code 26-52-317 – Food and Food Ingredients

  • Prepared food, meaning anything sold heated, combined into a meal by the seller, or sold with eating utensils provided by the store
  • Alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, and spirits
  • Tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco
  • Soft drinks, including carbonated beverages and other non-nutritive drinks
  • Dietary supplements, including vitamins and minerals not represented as conventional food

That is why a single grocery receipt can show different tax amounts on different lines. A rotisserie chicken is prepared food and gets 9.5%; a bag of raw chicken breasts from the meat case gets 3%. A gallon of milk is 3%; a two-liter of cola is 9.5%. Register systems sort this automatically, but the split is useful to recognize when you’re checking a long receipt.

The Back-to-School Tax Holiday

Arkansas suspends sales tax entirely on certain back-to-school purchases for one weekend each summer. For 2026, the holiday runs from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 1 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 2.5Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. 2026 Sales Tax Holiday Qualifying categories are completely exempt from state and local tax:

  • Clothing
  • Electronic devices
  • School supplies
  • School art supplies
  • School instructional materials

Unlike the grocery reduction, the holiday removes all three layers of tax, not just the state portion. A $500 laptop that would normally carry $47.50 in tax costs exactly $500 during the holiday weekend. The DFA publishes detailed item lists and price caps closer to the event, so confirm specifics on their site before shopping.

Online Orders Shipped to Jacksonville

Online retailers shipping to a Jacksonville address must collect the full 9.5%, the same rate a local store charges. Arkansas requires remote sellers and marketplace facilitators to register and collect tax if, during the current or prior calendar year, they had more than $100,000 in gross receipts from Arkansas sales or completed 200 or more separate transactions delivered into the state.6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Remote Sellers The tax is based on the delivery address, not where the seller sits.

When an out-of-state seller doesn’t collect Arkansas tax, you owe the same amount as use tax. This covers purchases from catalogs, online marketplaces, and items you bought in person while traveling in a state with a lower rate. The use tax rate matches the sales tax rate: 6.5% state plus the applicable local rates. If you already paid sales tax to another state, you can claim a credit for that amount, but you still owe the difference if the other state’s rate was lower.7Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Consumer Use Tax Individual consumers can report use tax on a form included with the state income tax booklet or download it from the DFA website.

If You’re the One Collecting the Tax

Any business making taxable sales in Jacksonville needs an Arkansas Sales and Use Tax Permit before the first transaction. Registration runs through the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point (ATAP) portal, and the permit costs $50 paid electronically at submission.8Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Register for a Tax Account9Justia. Arkansas Code 26-18-208 – Additional Penalties and Tax10Justia. Arkansas Code 26-18-508 – Interest on Deficiencies