Boulder County sales tax rate increases in 2026
This is a county-level change, but it will raise the combined sales tax rate in multiple cities and special districts within Boulder County. Sellers must ensure county tax calculations are updated for all affected locations starting on the effective date.
Written by Ryan Pinkham
VP of GTM
Published
What changed
- Previous rule: Boulder County sales tax applied at a lower county rate.
- New rule: Boulder County sales tax increases to 1.335 percent.
- Effective date: January 1, 2026.
Why this matters for cities inside Boulder County
Although the rate change is enacted at the county level, it affects the total tax charged in every jurisdiction where Boulder County tax applies. For example, sellers making taxable sales in the City of Longmont will see a higher combined rate, even though Longmont’s city sales tax rate itself is unchanged.
This type of county-driven change can impact:
- Cities
- Home-rule municipalities
- Special districts
- Destination-based ecommerce transactions
Example: updated combined rate in Longmont
For transactions sourced within Longmont and Boulder County, the new combined rate will be:
- State of Colorado: 2.900%
- RTD/CD: 1.100%
- Boulder County: 1.335%
- City of Longmont: 3.530%
- Combined total sales tax rate: 8.865%
Who this affects
- Sellers with physical locations anywhere in Boulder County
- Remote sellers shipping taxable goods into Boulder County
- Ecommerce businesses collecting Colorado destination-based sales tax
- CPAs and accountants managing Colorado sales tax compliance
If you use TaxCloud
TaxCloud automatically updates its sales tax calculation engine across all jurisdictions, including county-level rate changes and their downstream effects, so sellers do not need to manually adjust rates.
Next steps for sellers
- Update sales tax calculation to apply the new Boulder County rate for all affected locations starting January 1, 2026.
- Review combined rates in cities and special districts within Boulder County to confirm downstream impacts.
- After calculation is correct, ensure January 2026 transactions are reported accurately on February 2026 sales tax returns.
Official sources:
- 1.
- 2.
Other US sales tax updates
Colorado ends the sales & use tax exemption for downloaded software in 2027
Colorado is ending its sales tax exemption for downloaded software. Beginning January 1, 2027, most digital software transactions, including SaaS, will become taxable.
Arkansas eliminates state sales tax on groceries in 2026
Arkansas will remove its state sales and use tax on groceries, under the Grocery Tax Relief Act. The repeal applies to food and food ingredients for home consumption, while county and municipal grocery taxes will remain in place.
City of Gunnison shifts sales tax collection to the state starting in 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, the City of Gunnison will stop self-collecting local sales tax and move to state-collected city sales tax through the Colorado Department of Revenue.