The sales tax rate in Yonkers is 8.875%, and it applies to most goods and many services bought inside city limits. That total comes from four separate taxing authorities, not three, which is why the Yonkers rate runs higher than most of Westchester County.
How the 8.875% Breaks Down
Four layers stack to produce the rate on your receipt:
- New York State: 4%
- Westchester County: 1.5%
- City of Yonkers: 3%
- Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD): 0.375%
The MCTD surcharge funds regional public transit and applies across all of Westchester, not just Yonkers.1New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Sales Tax Rates, Additional Sales Taxes, and Fees The combined 8.875% is confirmed by Westchester County’s finance office.2Westchester County Government. County Sales Tax
The city’s 3% piece includes a temporary 0.5% surcharge that Yonkers has extended through November 30, 2027.3City of Yonkers, NY. Article IV – Sales and Use Tax If that surcharge is not renewed, the combined rate would drop to 8.375%.
What You Pay the Full Rate On
Nearly every physical good you can buy and carry home is taxed at 8.875%. Electronics, furniture, appliances, and motor vehicles are all taxable tangible personal property. Prepared food and drinks served in restaurants, including heated or ready-to-eat takeout, are also taxable.4New York State Senate. New York Tax Code 1115 – Exemptions from Sales and Use Taxes
Several services carry the full rate too: hotel stays, parking and garaging vehicles, interior decorating and design, protective and detective services, and repairs or maintenance on both personal and real property.5New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Quick Reference Guide for Taxable and Exempt Property and Services
One service that trips people up: haircuts, manicures, and tanning. Those personal care services are taxable only in New York City, not in Yonkers or anywhere else in the state.5New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Quick Reference Guide for Taxable and Exempt Property and Services Your Yonkers barber does not charge sales tax on a haircut.
What’s Exempt
Grocery staples sold for home consumption are exempt from all four layers of the tax. That covers meat, dairy, produce, baked goods, cereals, frozen dinners, and most other unheated food.6New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Listings of Taxable and Exempt Foods and Beverages Sold by Food Stores and Similar Establishments The food must be sold unheated, in the same form you’d find in a retail food store, and meant for human consumption. Heated food, food sold with utensils, and food for immediate consumption at a counter or table stay taxable.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are fully exempt, as are medical equipment and supplies used to treat illness or correct a physical condition.7Cornell Law Institute. New York Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations Title 20 Section 528.4 – Drugs and Medicines, Medical Equipment and Supplies The exemption includes hospital beds, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, oxygen equipment, prosthetic devices, hearing aids, and eyeglasses.4New York State Senate. New York Tax Code 1115 – Exemptions from Sales and Use Taxes
Clothing and Shoes Under $110 Are a Partial Exemption
This is where Yonkers shoppers get surprised at the register. New York State exempts any single item of clothing or footwear priced below $110 from the state’s 4% portion.8New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Clothing and Footwear Exemption The local exemption, however, is optional, and neither Westchester County nor the City of Yonkers has adopted it.
Yonkers appears in Publication 718-C as a jurisdiction that does not provide the local clothing exemption.9New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Publication 718-C – Sales and Use Tax Rates on Clothing and Footwear So a $90 pair of shoes skips the 4% state tax but still gets hit with the remaining 4.875%, which combines the county’s 1.5%, the city’s 3%, and the MCTD’s 0.375%. On that $90 purchase, you’d pay about $4.39 in tax rather than nothing. Once the price tag hits $110 or more, the full 8.875% applies to the entire amount.
Hotels and Short-Term Rentals Cost More Than 8.875%
If you’re booking a room in Yonkers, the sales tax is only part of the bill. On top of the standard 8.875% applied to the room charge, the city levies its own room occupancy tax at 5.875% of the nightly rate.10City of Yonkers. Room Occupancy Tax The combined tax burden on a Yonkers hotel stay is 14.75%. The occupancy tax goes directly to the city on its own schedule, separate from the state sales tax.11New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Hotel and Short-Term Rental Unit Occupancy
Online and Out-of-State Purchases
Most big platforms already handle this for you. Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and other large marketplaces must register as New York sales tax vendors once they’ve facilitated more than $500,000 in sales and more than 100 transactions delivered to New York addresses. Both thresholds must be met.12New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Sales Tax Requirements for Marketplace Providers Once they qualify, they collect and remit the 8.875% on taxable items shipped to Yonkers.
If you buy from a smaller out-of-state seller that doesn’t collect New York tax, or you bring an item back from a trip, you technically owe use tax at the same 8.875% rate.13New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Sales and Use Tax If you already paid sales tax to another state on the same item, New York credits that amount so you aren’t taxed twice, though you’d owe the difference if the other state’s rate was lower. Individuals report use tax on their annual New York income tax return or on Form ST-141.