San Antonio, Texas Sales Tax Rate

Economic Context. San Antonio is the 7th-largest city in the US and a major military center — Joint Base San Antonio is the largest concentration of military in America.

The combined sales tax rate in San Antonio is 8.250%, composed of the Texas state rate of 6.250% plus a local portion of 2.000%.

Key industries driving San Antonio's economy include Military/Defense, Healthcare/Biomedical, Tourism/Hospitality, Financial Services — each may have distinct sales tax treatment under Texas law.

The formula to calculate sales tax for any purchase:

For a $150.00 purchase in San Antonio: tax is $12.38 ($150.00 × 0.08250), total is $162.38.

Sales tax in San Antonio is administered locally by Bexar County / City of San Antonio. At 8.25%, San Antonio matches all other TX major cities.

Special tax rules specific to San Antonio:

• TX state 6.25% + Bexar County + City of San Antonio = 8.25%. Groceries exempt. No state income tax. Back-to-school holiday. San Antonio has one of the largest military footprints in the US.

San Antonio-specific: Joint Base San Antonio (60K+ personnel) generates enormous military and contractor spending.

Bexar County's local add-on combines with the City of San Antonio to reach the 2% cap.

While sales tax is collected by registered vendors at the point of sale, use tax is a self-assessed tax that applies when taxable goods are purchased from a vendor who did not collect sales tax. The rates for both are identical: 8.250%.

If you purchase equipment, software, or supplies from out-of-state merchants and no tax was charged, you are legally obligated to report and pay use tax to Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Use tax audits are common — failure to accrue on untaxed invoices is a frequent audit finding.

Businesses with physical presence or economic nexus in Texas must register with Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts before collecting tax.

For full registration, filing, exemption certificate, and audit guidance, see the Texas sales tax guide.

Businesses in San Antonio must maintain resale certificates and transaction records to comply with Texas tax audits. If you sell wholesale, obtain a valid resale certificate from the buyer.

For detailed guidance, see the Texas sales tax page.