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openaccountants/skills/no-sales-tax-states.md
no-sales-tax-states.md251 lines9.4 KB
v20Federal
1---
2name: no-sales-tax-states
3description: Use this skill whenever asked about states with no sales tax, Alaska local sales tax, Delaware gross receipts tax, Montana resort tax, New Hampshire meals and rooms tax, Oregon Corporate Activity Tax, or tax obligations in AK, DE, MT, NH, or OR. Trigger on phrases like "no sales tax states", "Alaska sales tax", "Delaware gross receipts", "Montana resort tax", "New Hampshire meals tax", "Oregon CAT", "Oregon no sales tax", or any request involving tax compliance in states that do not impose a general statewide sales tax. ALWAYS load us-sales-tax first for federal context.
4version: 2.0
5---
6 
7# No-Sales-Tax States Skill v2.0 -- AK, DE, MT, NH, OR
8 
9## Section 1 -- Quick reference
10 
11| State | No general sales tax | But has... |
12|---|---|---|
13| Alaska (AK) | Correct | Local sales taxes (boroughs/cities up to 7.5%) |
14| Delaware (DE) | Correct | Gross Receipts Tax on sellers (0.0945% to 1.9914%) |
15| Montana (MT) | Correct | Resort Tax in tourist communities (up to 3%) |
16| New Hampshire (NH) | Correct | Meals & Rooms Tax (8.5%) |
17| Oregon (OR) | Correct | Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) -- 0.57% on commercial activity over $1M |
18 
19**"No sales tax" does NOT mean "no consumption-related taxes." Each state has alternative mechanisms.**
20 
21| Field | Value |
22|---|---|
23| Skill version | 2.0 |
24| Federal framework skill | us-sales-tax |
25 
26---
27 
28## Section 2 -- Required inputs and refusal catalogue
29 
30### Refusal catalogue
31 
32**R-NOST-1 -- Alaska individual local jurisdiction compliance.** Each of ~100+ local jurisdictions administers its own tax. Detailed compliance for specific jurisdictions requires research beyond this skill.
33 
34**R-NOST-2 -- Oregon CAT detailed compliance.** CAT involves subtraction calculations and quarterly estimates. Escalate to CPA.
35 
36**R-NOST-3 -- Delaware GRT classification disputes.** GRT rate depends on business type classification. Escalate if disputed.
37 
38---
39 
40## Section 3 -- Transaction pattern library
41 
42### 3.1 Alaska (AK)
43 
44| Pattern | Treatment | Notes |
45|---|---|---|
46| Sale in Anchorage | NO TAX | Anchorage has no local sales tax |
47| Sale in Juneau | LOCAL TAX 5% | Juneau City & Borough |
48| Sale in Kodiak | LOCAL TAX 7% | One of the highest |
49| Sale in Sitka | LOCAL TAX 6% | |
50| Sale in Fairbanks | NO TAX | No borough or city tax |
51| Sale in Skagway | LOCAL TAX 5% | Tourism-driven |
52| Grocery food (varies by locality) | Varies | Some jurisdictions exempt; others tax |
53| Prescription drugs | Generally EXEMPT | Most jurisdictions |
54| Clothing | TAXABLE where local tax applies | |
55 
56### 3.2 Delaware (DE)
57 
58| Pattern | Treatment | Notes |
59|---|---|---|
60| Any retail purchase by buyer | NO TAX to buyer | DE has no sales tax |
61| Retailer's gross receipts | GRT 0.7468%/month | Tax on SELLER, not buyer |
62| Grocer's gross receipts | GRT 0.0945%/month | Lower rate for grocers |
63| Restaurant gross receipts | GRT 0.6758%/month | |
64| Wholesaler gross receipts | GRT 0.3985%/month | |
65| Manufacturer gross receipts | GRT 0.0945%/month | |
66| Professional gross receipts | GRT 0.3944%/month | |
67 
68### 3.3 Montana (MT)
69 
70| Pattern | Treatment | Notes |
71|---|---|---|
72| Purchase in resort community (Big Sky, Whitefish, etc.) | RESORT TAX up to 3% | On retail goods and services |
73| Purchase outside resort communities | NO TAX | |
74| Hotel/lodging (statewide) | 4% LODGING TAX | MCA Section 15-65-111 |
75| Rental car | 4% RENTAL TAX | MCA Section 15-68-101 |
76 
77### 3.4 New Hampshire (NH)
78 
79| Pattern | Treatment | Notes |
80|---|---|---|
81| Retail goods (clothing, electronics, etc.) | NO TAX | |
82| Restaurant meals (prepared food) | 8.5% MEALS TAX | RSA 78-A |
83| Hotel/lodging/Airbnb | 8.5% ROOMS TAX | RSA 78-A |
84| Motor vehicle rental | 8.5% RENTAL TAX | RSA 78-A |
85| SaaS and digital goods | NO TAX | |
86| Services | NO TAX | |
87 
88### 3.5 Oregon (OR)
89 
90| Pattern | Treatment | Notes |
91|---|---|---|
92| Any retail purchase | NO TAX | Oregon has zero sales tax everywhere |
93| Any service | NO TAX | |
94| Business with $1M+ OR commercial activity | CAT: $250 + 0.57% | ORS 317A; cannot be separately stated on invoices |
95| Hotel/lodging | 1.5% STATE + local | ORS 320.305 |
96 
97---
98 
99## Section 4 -- Rate lookup
100 
101### 4.1 Alaska local rates (selected)
102 
103| Jurisdiction | Rate |
104|---|---|
105| Juneau | 5.00% |
106| Kodiak | 7.00% |
107| Sitka | 6.00% |
108| Skagway | 5.00% |
109| Ketchikan | 3.50% |
110| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 3.00% |
111| Anchorage | 0% |
112| Fairbanks | 0% |
113 
114### 4.2 Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission (ARSSTC)
115 
116Remote sellers can register through ARSSTC (https://arsstc.org) for centralized filing in participating jurisdictions. Not all jurisdictions participate.
117 
118---
119 
120## Section 5 -- Classification rules
121 
122### 5.1 Key distinctions
123 
124| Concept | Rule |
125|---|---|
126| Alaska: no state agency for local tax | Each jurisdiction administers its own tax separately |
127| Delaware: GRT is on SELLER | Cannot be passed to buyer as "sales tax" line item |
128| Montana: resort tax is local | Only in designated resort communities |
129| New Hampshire: meals & rooms only | Retail goods completely untaxed |
130| Oregon: CAT cannot be itemized | Oregon law prohibits businesses from adding CAT as line item |
131 
132### 5.2 Use tax obligations
133 
134Buyers who purchase in no-sales-tax states may owe USE TAX in their home state on items brought back.
135 
136---
137 
138## Section 6 -- Return form and filing
139 
140| State | Return | Frequency | Due date | Portal |
141|---|---|---|---|---|
142| AK (local) | Varies by jurisdiction | Varies | Varies | ARSSTC or individual jurisdiction |
143| DE | Monthly GRT Return | Monthly | 20th of following month | https://revenue.delaware.gov |
144| MT (resort) | Local resort tax return | Varies | Varies by community | https://mtrevenue.gov |
145| MT (lodging) | Lodging tax return | Varies | Varies | https://mtrevenue.gov |
146| NH | Form MR (Meals & Rooms) | Monthly | 15th of following month | https://www.revenue.nh.gov |
147| OR | CAT Annual Return | Annual | April 15 | https://revenueonline.dor.oregon.gov |
148 
149---
150 
151## Section 7 -- Thresholds, penalties, and deadlines
152 
153### 7.1 Economic nexus
154 
155| State | Threshold | Notes |
156|---|---|---|
157| AK | Local jurisdiction determines | ARSSTC may set uniform remote seller thresholds |
158| DE | N/A | GRT applies to businesses operating IN Delaware |
159| MT | N/A | Resort tax based on physical presence in resort community |
160| NH | N/A | Meals & rooms tax on businesses operating in NH |
161| OR | $1M commercial activity | CAT threshold |
162 
163---
164 
165## Section 8 -- Edge cases
166 
167### EC1 -- Alaska remote seller compliance
168 
169**Situation:** Texas e-commerce seller ships to customers throughout Alaska.
170**Resolution:** Must determine which delivery addresses fall in taxing jurisdictions. ARSSTC for participating jurisdictions. Non-participating handled individually. Anchorage = no tax. Juneau = 5%.
171 
172### EC2 -- Delaware "tax-free shopping" marketing
173 
174**Situation:** Delaware retailer advertises "tax-free."
175**Resolution:** Accurate from buyer's perspective. Retailer pays GRT built into prices. Out-of-state shoppers may owe use tax in home state.
176 
177### EC3 -- Oregon seller with multi-state customers
178 
179**Situation:** Oregon e-commerce company sells nationwide. Exceeds nexus in 15 states.
180**Resolution:** No Oregon sales tax. Must collect in each state where nexus met. Oregon's lack of sales tax does not exempt from other states' laws.
181 
182### EC4 -- NH border shopping
183 
184**Situation:** MA residents purchase goods in NH.
185**Resolution:** Items brought to MA subject to MA use tax (6.25%). Self-assessed on MA income tax return. Business purchases auditable.
186 
187### EC5 -- Montana resort tax for online seller
188 
189**Situation:** Online seller ships to Big Sky.
190**Resolution:** Resort tax applicability to remote sellers unclear. Verify with specific resort community.
191 
192---
193 
194## Section 9 -- Test suite
195 
196### Test 1 -- Alaska: Juneau
197 
198**Input:** $500 item shipped to Juneau. Rate: 5%.
199**Expected:** Tax = $25.
200 
201### Test 2 -- Alaska: Anchorage
202 
203**Input:** $500 item shipped to Anchorage.
204**Expected:** Tax = $0.
205 
206### Test 3 -- Delaware: no buyer tax
207 
208**Input:** $1,000 electronics at Delaware store.
209**Expected:** No tax to buyer. Retailer pays GRT.
210 
211### Test 4 -- NH: restaurant meal
212 
213**Input:** $80 dinner at NH restaurant. Rate: 8.5%.
214**Expected:** Tax = $6.80.
215 
216### Test 5 -- NH: retail purchase
217 
218**Input:** $500 laptop at NH store.
219**Expected:** Tax = $0.
220 
221### Test 6 -- Oregon: no tax
222 
223**Input:** $2,000 merchandise in Oregon.
224**Expected:** Tax = $0.
225 
226### Test 7 -- Montana: resort community
227 
228**Input:** $200 item in Big Sky. Resort tax: 3%.
229**Expected:** Tax = $6.
230 
231---
232 
233## Section 10 -- Prohibitions
234 
235- NEVER state Alaska has no sales tax without qualifying that local jurisdictions may impose up to 7.5%.
236- NEVER state Delaware is "completely tax-free" -- GRT applies to sellers.
237- NEVER assume Oregon seller has no multi-state obligations.
238- NEVER apply any sales tax rate in Oregon.
239- NEVER forget NH's 8.5% Meals & Rooms Tax.
240- NEVER assume Montana is completely tax-free -- resort tax and lodging tax apply.
241- NEVER advise buyers that no-sales-tax state purchases are free of all tax -- use tax may apply in home state.
242- NEVER add Oregon's CAT as a separate line item on invoices.
243- NEVER confuse Delaware's GRT (tax on seller) with a sales tax (tax on buyer).
244- NEVER compute any number -- all arithmetic is handled by the deterministic engine, not Claude.
245 
246---
247 
248## Disclaimer
249 
250This skill is provided for informational and computational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. All outputs must be reviewed by a qualified professional (CPA, EA, or tax attorney) before filing.
251 

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Use this skill whenever asked about states with no sales tax, Alaska local sales tax, Delaware gross receipts tax, Montana resort tax, New Hampshire meals and rooms tax, Oregon Corporate Activity Tax, or tax obligations in AK, DE, MT, NH, or OR. Trigger on phrases like "no sales tax states", "Alaska sales tax", "Delaware gross receipts", "Montana resort tax", "New Hampshire meals tax", "Oregon CAT", "Oregon no sales tax", or any request involving tax compliance in states that do not impose a general statewide sales tax. ALWAYS load us-sales-tax first for federal context.

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