By the numbers: 2024 U.S. sales tax rates and rules changes

Image of two line graphs showing positive trends, one blue and one green.

ERP cloud migrations, fee compliance, new AI tools, tax data analytics, e-invoicing mandates in the EU, a rise in global value added tax (VAT) rate increases, tax exemption certificates, hiring challenges, a rosier M&A outlook…

Indirect tax leaders and their teams have a lot on their minds in 2025, and it’s only January. This also means that it’s a good time to take a quick look back – at 2024 sales and use tax rates and rules changes – to help prepare for what’s likely to unfold this year. Vertex’s 2024 year-end sales tax Rates and Rules Report, which is now available, contains several pages of noteworthy numbers, including:

  • 588: There were 588 total combined sales tax rate changes and new rates in 2024. That’s lower than 2023’s near-record of 676, but well above 2022’s 542 total rate changes.
  • 251: This is how many city sales tax rate changes that took place last year. That’s the second highest number of city rate changes in the past decade (254 occurred in 2017).
  • 171: That’s how many new district taxes took effect last year – the third highest figure in the past seven years. Additionally, 51 new city taxes and three new county-level taxes were enacted. Local governments continue to add new sales taxes at a high rate.
  • 8:1: This is the ratio of city sales tax rate increases to decreases; for every 1 city rate decrease, there were more than eight city rate increases.
  • 5:1: At the county level, rate increases also far outpaced rate decreases – by a 4.75-to-1 ratio.
  • 12,000+: In 2024, there were a total of 12,120 U.S. sales and use tax jurisdictions: 7,024 cities, 1,966 counties, 3,084 districts and 46 states.
  • 610: The annual average number of new and updated sales and use taxes that have occurred since 2014.

Our complete report, which is based on rates and rules data collected Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, provides more figures along with context around those numbers. So, too, does my look at the trends we expect to influence indirect tax policymaking in 2025.

Blog Author

Michael J. Bernard, Chief Tax Officer – Transaction Tax at Vertex Inc. Vertex's Chief Tax Office (CTO) provides insight regarding the impact of tax regulations, policy, enforcement, and emerging technology trends on global tax department operations.

Michael J. Bernard

Chief Tax Officer, Transaction Tax

Alle Veröffentlichungen von Michael Ansehen

Michael Bernard ist der Chief Tax Officer von Transaction Tax. In seiner Rolle bietet er Einblicke und Denkanstöße zu den Abläufen in der Steuerabteilung, der indirekten Steuererhebung in den USA, dem Steuerrisikomanagement und der Steuerpolitik sowie zu neuen Trends im Bereich Steuern. Er ist ein Steueranwalt auf Führungsebene mit vielfältiger Erfahrung in den Bereichen Unternehmenssteuern, Verwaltung sowie Finanzen und hat fundierte Kenntnisse des US-amerikanischen und internationalen Steuerrechts.

Bevor er zu Vertex kam, war Herr Bernard 28 Jahre lang in verschiedenen Führungspositionen im Bereich Steuern bei der Microsoft Corporation tätig, zuletzt als Senior Director – Tax Counsel. Herr Bernard leitete Teams in den folgenden Funktionsbereichen: Streitigkeiten im Zusammenhang mit direkter und indirekter Besteuerung, Vertrieb und Nutzung, Geschäftslizenzen, Eigentum, Steuer-IT, SOX und Telekommunikation. Er leitete auch eine Steuerzahlervertretung für Unternehmen beim Washington Department of Revenue und war Vorstandsmitglied des Washington Research Council. Herr Bernard hat außerdem bereits vor Verwaltungs- und gesetzgebenden Institutionen auf Bundes- und Staatsebene ausgesagt.

Herr Bernard hat sowohl einen J.D. als auch einen Bachelor of Science in Business Administration von der Creighton University. Er ist Teilzeitdozent für Recht im Master-of-Law-Programm an der University of Washington School of Law. Herr Bernard war außerdem fast 25 Jahre lang Mitglied des Vorstands, des Exekutivausschusses und Vorsitzender von Ausschüssen des Tax Executives Institute (TEI).

View Newsletter Signup

Explore 2024 tax trends and changes.

Keeping up with the latest tax rate changes and regulatory updates is crucial for compliance and optimizing tax strategies in an ever-changing landscape.

LEARN MORE
two business women working on a laptop