NOTE – This is the first part of a series published exclusively in the Jackson Parish Journal regarding the upcoming sales tax election. Over the next several weeks we will look at what a sales tax represents, how the tax is derived, why parish officials state that an increase is needed, where the additional funds will be applied and when the new tax rate, if approved, will take effect. Today – What is a sales tax?
As defined by Investopedia a sales tax is a consumption tax imposed by the government on the sale of goods and services. A conventional sales tax is levied at the point of sale, collected by the retailer and passed on to the state and local government. As an example, if you make a purchase of $100.00 and the sales tax is 10% you would pay $110.00 to the retailer with $10.00 going to the state and local government to be used as designated.
The current Sales Tax rate in Jackson Parish is 9.45%, which is the lowest among neighboring parishes in north Louisiana and second lowest in the state among parishes with similar population. The standard sales tax rate required by the state is 4.45% but the rate in each parish varies due to other designated percentages that go to the School Board, Police Jury, Town or other local areas. A breakdown of how the tax is used in Jackson Parish, as well as, neighboring and similarly populated parishes are shown below.
Comparative Sales Tax rates in Jackson Parish region
| PARISH | SCHOOL BOARD |
POLICE JURY |
TOWN | OTHER LOCAL |
STATE | TOTAL RATE |
| Jackson | 2.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% | 0.00% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| Caldwell | 2.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 1.00% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| Bienville | 2.00% | 1.00% | 2.50% | 0.00% | 4.45% | 9.95% |
| Winn | 2.00% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 0.50% | 4.45% | 9.95% |
| Ouachita | 2.00% | 0.00% | 2.50% | 1.49% | 4.45% | 10.44% |
| Lincoln | 2.50% | 0.75% | 2.50% | 0.25% | 4.45% | 10.45% |
| Union | 3.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% | 1.00% | 4.45% | 11.45% |
Comparative Sales Tax rates in similarly populated parishes
| PARISH | SCHOOL BOARD |
POLICE JURY |
TOWN | OTHER LOCAL |
STATE | TOTAL RATE |
| Jackson | 2.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% | 0.00% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| Concordia | 2.00% | 0.00% | 2.50% | 0.25% | 4.45% | 9.20% |
| East Feliciana | 2.00% | 3.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| West Feliciana | 3.00% | 2.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| LaSalle | 3.00% | 0.50% | 1.00% | 0.50% | 4.45% | 9.45% |
| Claiborne | 2.00% | 0.00% | 3.38% | 0.63% | 4.45% | 10.45% |
