The sales tax rate in Roseville, MN is 8.875 percent as of 2026. That single charge on your receipt combines four separate taxes: the Minnesota state sales tax, a Ramsey County transit tax, two metro-area taxes, and a Roseville city tax approved by voters in 2024.
How the 8.875 Percent Breaks Down
Four layers stack into the total rate:
- Minnesota state sales tax of 6.875 percent. That figure is the original 6.5 percent general rate plus a 0.375 percent addition from a 2008 constitutional amendment dedicated to environmental and cultural funding.1Minnesota House of Representatives. Minnesota Sales and Use Tax
- Ramsey County transit tax of 0.50 percent, in effect since October 2017 to fund regional transportation.2Minnesota Department of Revenue. Ramsey County 0.5 Percent Transit Sales and Use Tax
- Metro-area taxes totaling 1.00 percent across the Twin Cities region: 0.75 percent for transportation and 0.25 percent for housing.3Minnesota Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide 2026 Q2
- Roseville local tax of 0.50 percent, approved by voters in November 2024 to fund a new Public Works and Parks Operations Facility budgeted at $64.2 million.4City of Roseville. Local Sales Tax Collection
Receipts show a single 8.875 percent line, not four.
What the Rate Applies To
The full 8.875 percent applies to most retail sales of physical goods: electronics, furniture, appliances, sporting goods, and similar items. Local taxes in Roseville use the same taxable base as the state, so nothing is calculated differently at the city or county level.
Minnesota also taxes a defined list of services that surprises some buyers. Those include building cleaning and maintenance, detective, security, and alarm services, laundry, dry cleaning, and alterations, parking, pet grooming and boarding, landscape maintenance, motor vehicle washing and towing, massages and health club memberships, and telecommunications. Not every activity inside these categories is taxable, so specifics matter.5Minnesota Department of Revenue. Taxable Services in Minnesota
Prepared Food
Prepared food is taxable. Minnesota defines it as food sold heated, food combined by the seller from two or more ingredients and sold as a single item, or food sold with eating utensils provided by the seller. Restaurant meals and heated deli items qualify without question.6Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.61 – Definitions
Bakery items like bread, donuts, and cookies are carved out of the prepared food definition even when the bakery mixed the ingredients. Unheated ready-to-eat meat and seafood sold by weight also stays exempt.
Motor Vehicles
New and used vehicles registered in Minnesota are taxed under the motor vehicle sales tax rather than the general sales tax. The rate is 6.875 percent, matching the state rate, but the money flows differently. Most vehicles at least ten years old are taxed at a flat $10.7Minnesota House of Representatives. Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Ramsey County adds a $20 excise tax on each motor vehicle purchased from a retail dealer.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.993 – County Transportation Sales and Use Tax
What’s Exempt
Several everyday categories are exempt at every level of the tax:
- Clothing and footwear. All clothing is exempt with no price cap, so a $5 t-shirt and a $500 winter coat are treated the same.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
- Groceries. Food and food ingredients sold for home preparation are exempt, covering produce, dairy, meat, bread, and similar staples.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
- Drugs and medical devices. Prescription and non-prescription drugs for human use, medical devices, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and dental prostheses are exempt.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
Candy and soft drinks are the exception inside the grocery exemption. Minnesota’s statute pulls them back out of the exempt food definition, so both are taxed at the full 8.875 percent in Roseville.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 297A.67 – General Exemptions
Use Tax on Online and Out-of-State Purchases
If you buy something and no sales tax is collected at checkout, you likely owe Minnesota use tax. The use tax rate matches the combined sales tax rate for your address, so a Roseville buyer owes 8.875 percent.10Minnesota Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax
Most large online retailers and marketplace platforms like Amazon and eBay now collect Minnesota tax automatically, because state law requires marketplace facilitators to collect once they exceed either 200 retail sales or $100,000 in sales shipped to Minnesota over a 12-month period.11Minnesota Department of Revenue. Sales Tax for Marketplace Providers Use tax still matters for purchases from smaller out-of-state sellers, private-party transactions, and items bought while traveling. Individuals can report it through the Department of Revenue’s e-Services portal or on a paper form.
Collecting Sales Tax as a Business in Roseville
A business making taxable sales must register for a Minnesota Tax ID Number and a Sales and Use Tax account before the first sale. You cannot collect tax without registering, and the Department of Revenue will not open a new account if you have a past-due sales tax balance from a previous business.12Minnesota Department of Revenue. Registering Your Business Registration happens online, and during setup a Roseville business identifies each applicable local component: the Ramsey County transit tax, the metro-area taxes, and the Roseville city tax.
Filing frequency depends on how much tax you collect. Businesses averaging under $100 per month file annually, with returns due February 5. Averages between $100 and $500 per month file quarterly, due April 20, July 20, October 20, and January 20. Averages above $500 file monthly, due the 20th of the following month. Everything runs through the e-Services portal.13Minnesota Department of Revenue. Filing Returns and Recordkeeping
Late payment triggers a 5 percent penalty at the due date, another 5 percent after 30 days, and a third 5 percent after 60 days, capped at 15 percent of the unpaid tax. Interest runs on top until the balance clears.14Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 289A.60 – Civil Penalties On $10,000 of collected tax, missing the deadline by two months costs $1,000 in penalty alone.