5 US States Where Apple Products Have 0% Sales Tax (2026)
Most US states charge between 5% and 10% combined sales tax on Apple purchases. Five states charge nothing at all. On a $1,999 MacBook Pro 14", that's a $180+ difference.
Here's the complete breakdown of the five 0%-sales-tax states, what Apple products actually cost in each, where the Apple Stores are, and whether it's worth traveling there from your home state.
The five states
| State | State sales tax | Local tax | Apple Stores | Bottom line | |---|---|---|---|---| | Oregon | 0% | 0% | 9 stores | Fully tax-free, near Portland | | Delaware | 0% | 0% | 2 stores | Fully tax-free, Christiana Mall is a retail hub | | New Hampshire | 0% | 0% | 3 stores | Fully tax-free; meals/rooms tax exists but doesn't apply to Apple | | Montana | 0% | 0% | 0 stores | Apple authorized resellers only; nearest Apple Store is in WA/ID | | Alaska | 0% state | 0-7.85% local | 1 store (Anchorage) | State rate is 0% but some cities add local tax |
Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Montana are fully 0% — state AND local combined is zero, period. Alaska is different: no state tax, but municipalities can levy local sales taxes. Anchorage is 0%, Juneau is 5%, Sitka is 6%. Check your destination city before assuming Alaska = free.
How much you actually save
On Apple's most common purchases, here's the zero-tax advantage vs. a typical high-tax state (California at 8.85% combined):
| Product | MSRP | CA real total | OR real total | Savings | |---|---|---|---|---| | AirPods Pro 2 | $249 | $271 | $249 | $22 | | Apple Watch SE | $249 | $271 | $249 | $22 | | iPad Air M3 11" | $599 | $652 | $599 | $53 | | iPhone 16 | $799 | $870 | $799 | $71 | | iPhone 16 Pro Max | $1,199 | $1,305 | $1,199 | $106 | | MacBook Air M4 | $1,099 | $1,196 | $1,099 | $97 | | MacBook Pro 14" M4 | $1,599 | $1,741 | $1,599 | $142 | | MacBook Pro 14" M4 Pro | $1,999 | $2,176 | $1,999 | $177 |
For a typical buyer upgrading a single Mac or iPhone, savings are $70-$180. For a family doing multiple purchases in a year (a couple of iPhones + a MacBook + iPad + accessories), the cumulative zero-tax advantage can hit $400-$600.
Oregon — the best zero-tax destination
Oregon is the most accessible zero-tax state for Apple shoppers. Nine Apple Stores, including the popular Apple Store at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland, Apple Bridgeport Village (south Portland), and Apple Washington Square (Beaverton).
Why Oregon wins:
- Fully 0% statewide, no local adds anywhere
- 9 Apple Stores — more than any other zero-tax state
- Portland International Airport (PDX) has direct flights from most major US hubs
- Strong Best Buy presence plus a Micro Center (in Tualatin, near Portland) for enthusiast Mac configurations
- Zero-tax applies to every retail transaction — Costco, Target, Walmart, Best Buy all charge 0%
Who uses it:
- Washington residents (Vancouver WA is a 15-minute drive from Portland)
- Idaho residents
- Out-of-state buyers on a combined trip or vacation
Portland International Airport has a small Apple-authorized reseller shop but the full Apple Stores are all in metro Portland. Nearest Apple Store to the airport: Apple Pioneer Place, ~15 minutes by car.
Delaware — the Mid-Atlantic alternative
Delaware is tiny but valuable for tax-conscious shoppers on the US East Coast. Two Apple Stores:
- Apple Christiana Mall (near Wilmington, DE) — the big one
- Apple Pike Creek (Wilmington, DE)
Christiana Mall is the most visited tax-free Apple Store in the country. The mall sits directly off I-95 between Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC — easily accessible for residents of all three cities, plus southern NJ and MD. Because it's a major regional shopping destination anyway (Macy's, Nordstrom, etc.), the Apple Store here runs at flagship-store staffing levels.
Why Delaware works:
- Fully 0% statewide
- Right next to NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC
- Christiana Mall is open late hours 7 days a week
- Easily reachable by train from NYC (Wilmington Amtrak station is 90 min from NYC Penn)
Who uses it:
- NYC residents (2-hour drive or train ride)
- Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, northern Virginia residents
- New Jersey residents
Fun fact: Delaware's nickname "Tax-Free Shopping" has been marketed by the state for decades. Christiana Mall regularly ranks among the highest-revenue retail malls in the country per square foot — tax-free status is a meaningful part of the story.
New Hampshire — the New England option
Three Apple Stores in NH:
- Apple Salem (Mall at Rockingham Park)
- Apple Manchester (Mall of New Hampshire)
- Apple Nashua (Pheasant Lane Mall)
All three sit just over the Massachusetts border. Boston residents routinely drive 30-60 minutes north to Salem or Nashua to avoid Massachusetts's 6.25% sales tax.
New Hampshire has no general sales tax at all. The state does collect a meals and rooms tax (9%), but that applies to restaurant food and hotel stays — it doesn't touch Apple retail.
Who uses it:
- Massachusetts residents (biggest group)
- Maine residents
- Vermont residents
- Connecticut residents (for larger purchases worth the drive)
Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua is particularly popular for New England Apple shoppers because of the large Best Buy, plus a Microcenter within driving distance (Cambridge, MA Micro Center is not far, but NH has no tax on the big-ticket items).
Montana — rural but real
Montana has no Apple Stores. Zero. The closest Apple Stores are in Spokane, WA, or Boise, ID, or Salt Lake City, UT.
However, Montana does have Apple Authorized Resellers — notably Simply Mac and several smaller Apple specialists in Missoula, Bozeman, and Billings. These sell at standard retail prices and charge 0% sales tax.
You can also:
- Order from Apple.com and ship to a Montana address (shipping is free on most Apple orders over $50, 0% tax charged)
- Ship to a Montana UPS Store or friend's address, then pick up and transport home
- Use Montana Mail Services (various Montana-based mail forwarders) for non-resident order routing
Who uses it:
- Montana residents directly
- Neighboring state residents on road trips
- Online shoppers using Montana addresses for package forwarding
The Montana workaround is less practical than Oregon or Delaware for most buyers because Montana has no Apple Store — but for online orders with flexibility on shipping address, it's effectively identical.
Alaska — check your city
Alaska has no state sales tax, but that's less simple than it sounds. Local taxes vary significantly:
- Anchorage: 0% (no local sales tax — the big win)
- Fairbanks: 0% (within the borough proper)
- Juneau: 5%
- Sitka: 6%
- Wasilla: 2.5%
- Kodiak: 6%
- Small cities and towns: varies widely, some 0%, some up to 7.85%
The single Apple Store in Alaska is at 5th Avenue Mall in Anchorage (0% local tax), making Anchorage the practical zero-tax destination in-state. If you're on vacation in Anchorage or passing through the airport, this is a legitimate Apple shopping stop.
For the other zero-tax states (Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana), you don't need to worry about local tax rates at all — they're truly zero statewide. For Alaska, always check the specific city or borough.
Is traveling to a zero-tax state worth it?
For a single Apple product, usually not. You save $50-$200 depending on the product, but you spend on gas, time, and possibly a hotel.
It's usually worth it when:
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You live near the border already. Vancouver WA → Portland OR is a 15-minute drive. Boston → Nashua NH is 60 minutes. Philadelphia → Wilmington DE is 45 minutes. These are day trips.
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You're making multiple Apple purchases at once. A MacBook + iPhone + iPad + accessories order totaling $3,500 saves $300+ in California/NY tax — that's real money even with a flight and hotel.
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You're already going there. Vacation in Portland for the weekend? Grab the iPhone while you're there.
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You can use online shipping. Order to an Oregon hotel, pick up when you arrive. No extra travel time.
For most single-product purchases, the B&H Photo Payboo card is actually the better option — you pay no sales tax effectively via statement credit, without leaving your house. See our guide: B&H Photo Payboo Card — Sales Tax Advantage Explained.
Apple Store locations in the 5 zero-tax states
Oregon:
- Pioneer Place, Portland
- Bridgeport Village, Tigard
- Washington Square, Beaverton
- Lloyd Center, Portland
- Clackamas Town Center, Happy Valley
- Eugene
- Salem (Lancaster Mall)
- Medford (Rogue Valley Mall)
- Bend (variable hours)
Delaware:
- Christiana Mall (near Wilmington) — flagship
- Pike Creek (Wilmington)
New Hampshire:
- Salem (Mall at Rockingham Park)
- Manchester (Mall of New Hampshire)
- Nashua (Pheasant Lane Mall)
Montana: No Apple Stores. Closest: Spokane Valley, WA / Boise, ID / Salt Lake City, UT.
Alaska: Anchorage (5th Avenue Mall).
The bottom line
Five states (Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, Alaska — with local caveats) charge 0% sales tax on Apple products. On flagship purchases, that's $70-$180 in savings per item vs a typical 8-10% tax state. Oregon and Delaware are the most accessible to major metros (Portland for the West Coast, Christiana Mall for the Northeast). New Hampshire is a strong Boston-area alternative.
Traveling specifically for an Apple purchase usually only pencils out on $2,000+ orders or if you're already in the area. For most buyers, the B&H Photo Payboo card or ordering to a no-nexus state is easier.
See your state's specific sales tax rate and real Apple totals in our full US state tax guide or use the 50-state calculator.