Alabama · Sales tax · updated
Alabama sales tax permit: who needs one
Yes. Businesses making taxable sales in Alabama need a permit from Alabama's tax agency before the first sale. Out-of-state sellers must register once sales into Alabama pass $250,000, measured over the previous calendar year. As of October 2026.
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Sales tax in Alabama, step by step
Each rule comes from the state's own page, linked in the table below.
- 1
Selling in the state? Register first
Before your first saleA store, office, employees or inventory in Alabama (including inventory in a marketplace warehouse) means you register before you sell. Register with the Alabama DOR, which lists any registration fee or security deposit it requires.
- 2
Selling from out of state? Watch the threshold
Economic nexusYou must register once sales into Alabama pass $250,000 in the previous calendar year. What counts: retail sales of tangible personal property delivered into Alabama (direct sales; wholesale and marketplace-collected sales excluded). Remote sellers over $250,000 collect through the Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) program. Measurement period per Sales Tax Institute chart.
- 3
Count marketplace sales the state's way
Amazon, Etsy, eBayAlabama does not count sales made through a marketplace toward the threshold. The marketplace usually collects the tax on those sales, but you may still need to register for your own website's sales.
- 4
Collect the right rate and file every period
Where people get stuckThe rate is the state rate plus any local rate where the buyer receives the goods. When you register, the Alabama DOR assigns how often you file; file every period it assigns.
- 5
Selling into other states too?
Free toolSelling into other states is a separate question: each one has its own threshold. Our free Nexus Detective checks your sales against all of them.
Alabama sales tax rules at a glance
| Rule | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Remote-seller sales threshold | $250,000 |
| Transaction test | sales amount only |
| Measured over | previous calendar year |
| What counts | retail sales of tangible personal property delivered into Alabama (direct sales; wholesale and marketplace-collected sales excluded) |
| Marketplace sales count? | No |
| Streamlined Sales Tax member | No |
| Source | Alabama Department of Revenue (SSUT), checked |
From the state's own page, linked above. Rates and thresholds change; the state's page wins if it differs.
We do not register for sales tax or file returns. The registration is a form you can file yourself; our sales tax registration guide walks through it, and a CPA can take over the filing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a sales tax permit in Alabama?
Yes. Businesses making taxable sales in Alabama need a permit from Alabama's tax agency before the first sale. Out-of-state sellers must register once sales into Alabama pass $250,000, measured over the previous calendar year.
Does Alabama charge for a sales tax permit?
Some states charge nothing and some charge a small fee or ask for a security deposit. The Alabama DOR site lists Alabama's current requirement.
Do I need a permit in Alabama if I only sell online?
Yes once your sales into Alabama pass the threshold above, or right away if you store inventory or have staff there.
Does forming an LLC register me for sales tax?
No. The LLC filing and the sales tax registration are separate. You register with the state tax agency after the LLC exists, using its EIN.
Does Vermilion Vitez file sales tax returns?
No. We form the LLC and keep it in good standing; sales tax registration and returns are done with the state or a CPA.
More Alabama business guides
Nearby states
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See every state where you owe
Enter your sales by state and the Nexus Detective shows which thresholds you have passed, with each state's own link.
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