No, there is no tax on postage stamps bought for mailing. A Forever stamp costs $0.78 as of 2026, and that price is what you pay at the post office counter, on usps.com, or at a grocery store selling stamps at face value.1USPS. January 2026 Price Change – FAQ The exemption holds in every state. The wrinkles show up around stamps sold above face value, stamps bought as collectibles, digital postage subscriptions, and shipping charges that businesses pass through to customers.
Why Stamps Aren’t Taxed
Two things keep sales tax off a stamp. First, a stamp is a prepayment for mail delivery rather than a physical product, and most states tax tangible goods or specifically listed services, not prepaid federal services. Second, states can’t tax the federal government directly. The Supreme Court established that principle of intergovernmental tax immunity in 1819, and the modern doctrine, grounded in the Supremacy Clause and the Tenth Amendment, still bars states from taxing core federal operations.2Constitution Annotated. Intergovernmental Tax Immunity Doctrine Selling postage is a core USPS operation, so a state sales tax can’t attach to it.
When a Stamp Purchase Can Be Taxed
Stamps Sold Above Face Value
The tax-free treatment attaches to the postage value of the stamp, not to every dollar a seller collects. If a convenience store marks a book of stamps up above face value, the postage portion generally stays exempt, but the added charge can be treated as a taxable sale depending on the state. Buying at the post office, on usps.com, or from an authorized retailer selling at face value avoids the question entirely.
Collectible and Philatelic Stamps
A stamp bought for its rarity rather than for mailing is tangible personal property in most states that impose sales tax. Vintage stamps at auction, commemorative sheets meant for framing, and philatelic sets priced well above face value all fall on the taxable side. The rough line is intent and price: at or near face value through a postal outlet, exempt; ten times face value at a collectibles shop, taxable.
Personalized Postage
Customized stamps that carry real USPS postage but feature personal photos or designs sit in the middle. Bought to send wedding invitations or holiday cards, they still function as prepaid postage and are generally exempt. Bought as keepsakes or promotional novelties with no intention of mailing, they can be taxed as tangible property. State rules vary, and the buyer’s intended use tends to drive the outcome.
Digital Postage Platforms
Services like Stamps.com and Pirate Ship let you buy and print postage from a computer. The postage itself is not subject to sales tax on these platforms, because you’re still prepaying USPS for delivery. The monthly subscription or service fee is a separate matter. Those fees pay for software access, and software-as-a-service is taxable in a growing number of states. Some states treat cloud software as a taxable good, some exempt it as an intangible service, and some tax it only under specific conditions. If you use a digital postage platform for a business, check whether your state taxes SaaS fees, because the tax, when it applies, sits on the subscription line and not on the postage line.
Shipping Charges You Invoice to Customers
A separate question comes up constantly for online sellers: when you charge a customer for postage, is that charge taxable? The answer turns on your state’s rules and how you present the charge. Roughly half of states tax shipping and delivery charges as part of the sale price no matter how you list them. The other half exempt shipping only if you break it out as its own line item, separate from the product price. Handling fees are taxable in most states even where the shipping portion is not, so a combined “shipping and handling” line invites tax on the whole amount in many jurisdictions. Listing postage or shipping as its own line, separate from handling and packaging, is the safer practice.
States With No Sales Tax
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon impose no statewide sales tax, so the whole question is moot for most purchases made there.3Tax Foundation. State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 Some Alaska localities levy their own sales taxes, but postage stamps remain exempt under the federal immunity principles that apply everywhere else.