In most of the country, yes, pet food is taxable. Nearly every state that exempts groceries from sales tax defines “food” as something sold for human consumption, so a bag of dog or cat food gets taxed at the standard rate for tangible goods even when the produce next to it in your cart does not. Depending on where you shop, the combined state and local rate runs from zero to more than 10%.
Why the Grocery Exemption Doesn’t Cover Pet Food
Roughly 37 states and Washington, D.C. exempt unprepared groceries from sales tax, but the definition of “food” is the catch. Under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement, which most states follow, “food and food ingredients” means substances “sold for ingestion or chewing by humans and consumed for their taste or nutritional value.”1Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board. Food Definition Issues Pet food is labeled and marketed for animals, so it sits outside the definition. Even ordinary produce loses the exemption once the seller knows it’s headed for a horse rather than a person.
Many states do exempt feed for livestock and other agricultural animals, but that carve-out exists to support food production, not household pets. The result is the gap most pet owners notice at checkout: cereal and vegetables ring up tax-free, and the dog food in the same cart doesn’t.
How Much Sales Tax You’ll Pay on Pet Food
The rate depends entirely on where you buy. Combined state and local sales tax rates range from zero to over 10% across the country, with a population-weighted national average of about 7.53% as of 2026.2Tax Foundation. State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 On a $50 bag, that’s anywhere from nothing to roughly $5.
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Pet food purchases in those states generally come through untaxed, though some Alaska localities levy their own local sales taxes. Everywhere else, pet food is taxed at whatever rate applies to standard tangible goods. A handful of states still tax human groceries at a reduced rate, but even in those states the reduced rate typically doesn’t reach pet food, which gets the full rate.
Exemptions That Might Apply
A few narrow exemptions exist, though they won’t help most pet owners.
Food for Service Animals
Some states exempt food purchased for certified service animals, typically limited to guide dogs for people who are blind or have other qualifying disabilities. The buyer usually has to present a state-issued exemption certificate to the retailer at checkout. Not every state offers this, and where it exists, the qualifying conditions are specific. An emotional support animal, or a pet registered through an online service, generally won’t qualify.
Purchases by Nonprofit Shelters and Rescues
Qualifying nonprofits, including animal shelters and rescue groups, can often buy supplies tax-free in states that grant sales tax exempt status to 501(c)(3) organizations. The organization applies to the state tax department, receives an exemption certificate, and presents it to retailers on qualifying purchases. Personal purchases by employees or volunteers don’t qualify, even when the organization later reimburses them.
Veterinary Prescription Diets
Prescription pet food sits in a gray area between food and medicine. The FDA considers a pet food product to be a drug rather than food when its intended use is to treat or prevent disease and that effect isn’t derived mainly from the product’s nutrition, taste, or aroma.3U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA’s Regulation of Pet Food A diet formulated to acidify a cat’s urine for urinary tract health, for example, falls on the drug side.
Some states treat vet-dispensed therapeutic diets the same as prescription medications and don’t tax them. The exemption generally requires the food to be prescribed by a licensed veterinarian for a diagnosed condition and dispensed through the practice rather than sold off the shelf. A “sensitive stomach” formula picked up at a pet store without a prescription almost never qualifies, even if it’s the same brand a vet might prescribe.
Ordering Pet Food Online
Buying online doesn’t get you out of sales tax. Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require online retailers to collect sales tax even when the seller has no physical presence in the state.4Supreme Court of the United States. South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. (No. 17-494) Most states now apply an economic nexus threshold in the range of $100,000 in annual sales into the state.
Nearly all sales-tax states have also enacted marketplace facilitator laws, which put the collection duty on the platform rather than the individual seller. So when you order dog food through a major online marketplace, the platform calculates tax based on your shipping address and remits it to your state. The rate you pay is your local rate, not the seller’s.
When You Owe Use Tax Instead
If you buy from an out-of-state seller that doesn’t collect your state’s sales tax, the obligation shifts to you as use tax. Use tax exists in every state with a sales tax and applies at the same rate. In practice, this usually comes up when you buy from a small online retailer below the economic nexus threshold, or from a seller located in a no-sales-tax state.
Many states let you report and pay use tax on your annual state income tax return, often on a dedicated line. The amounts are typically small for pet food, but the obligation exists regardless of the dollar figure, and states have become more active about enforcement as online shopping has grown.
Claiming an Exemption You Don’t Qualify For
Presenting a fraudulent exemption certificate to skip sales tax on pet food is treated as tax evasion. Civil penalties include repayment of the tax with interest plus additional fines, and intentional fraud can bring criminal charges. Given how small the tax on a bag of pet food usually is, the exposure isn’t close to worth it.