POS system for Pennsylvania businesses
Pennsylvania's sales tax is 6% almost everywhere, with two exceptions: Allegheny County adds 1% and Philadelphia adds 2%. SeroPOS lets you set the right total for your location as a tax group, with each part kept separate for reporting.
Pennsylvania in SeroPOS
6%, 7% or 8%
Use the 6% state rate on its own, or group it with Allegheny's 1% or Philadelphia's 2% local rate.
Exempt clothing and groceries
Most clothing and most grocery food are exempt in Pennsylvania, so they take a 0% rate.
Prepared food taxed
Restaurant meals and prepared food are taxable, so they stay on your state or local group.
Prices with or without tax
Each product has a "price includes tax" setting, so tax-in pricing at a bar or event works without manual maths.
Global Payments or Gravity
Take card and tap payments on terminals that get the amount straight from the till, with tips coming back to the receipt.
Tax collected by period
The Tax Report shows tax on sales, purchases and expenses for any date range and location, with the invoices behind it.
Pennsylvania sales tax at a glance
Pennsylvania's sales tax is 6% as of 2026, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. There are only two local add-ons: Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, adds 1% for a total of 7%, and Philadelphia adds 2% for a total of 8%. Everywhere else in the state the rate is 6%.
Pennsylvania exempts most clothing and footwear, most grocery food and many other items, while restaurant meals, prepared food, soft drinks and most other goods are taxable. Alcohol and some other products have their own rules. Confirm current rates and exemptions with the Department of Revenue as of 2026 before you build your product list.
Building your tax group in SeroPOS
In the back office go to Settings, then Tax Rates, and add the state rate of 6%. Then add each local rate that applies at your address, such as Allegheny County's 1% or Philadelphia's 2%, ticking "for tax group only" so they can't be picked alone. In the SeroPOS app the same screens are under Admin, then Taxes.
Open Tax Groups and combine the rates into one group named after the place and the total, for example "Philadelphia 8%". Make it the default tax so new products pick it up, and add a 0% rate for exempt items. Outside those two areas you don't need a group at all: the 6% state rate on its own is enough.
Clothing stores and mixed baskets
A Pennsylvania clothing store charges no tax on most clothing but does tax accessories such as jewellery, handbags and formal wear, depending on the item. In SeroPOS the tax is part of each product, so set clothing to 0% and the taxable accessories to your rate, and the cashier never has to choose.
Grocers and delis face the same split between exempt grocery food and taxable prepared food or soft drinks. The back office product list filters by tax, so you can review everything on 0% before you open, and bulk edit changes the tax on a selection of products at once when the rules or your range change.
Cards on Global Payments or Gravity Payments
SeroPOS sends the amount straight to the card terminal, so nobody keys the total twice. With Global Payments you can use Global Pay Cloud, which needs no cable or IP address, or run SeroPOS on the Global Payments T650P handheld itself through Terminal Plus. With Gravity Payments you enter your account details and device name in Gravity Pay Settings.
A tip entered on the terminal comes back and prints as Tip / Gratuity. Partial approvals ask for the balance on another card or in cash. If a card is approved but the sale doesn't save, SeroPOS keeps the approval in an outbox and records it again, and a duplicate-charge guard warns before the same card is charged twice.
Already have a merchant account? Keep it if your processor is supported. If you want to compare costs, send us a recent statement and we'll quote a rate. Card processing is arranged separately from your SeroPOS plan. Tell us your monthly card volume and the terminals you use today, and we can say which setup fits your counter before you commit.
Tax reports and QuickBooks Desktop
The Tax Report in the back office shows tax collected on sales, tax paid on purchases and tax on expenses, with an overall figure and the invoices behind each number, filtered by location and date range. Run it for your filing period, and use the Product Taxes section of the daily sales summary to see which products the tax came from.
On the Pro plan SeroPOS sends sales, payments, customers and items to QuickBooks Desktop, US edition 2021 or later (Pro, Premier or Enterprise on Windows), through the Web Connector. It can build your sales tax items, groups and tax agency in QuickBooks for you, matched by rate rather than by name. The QuickBooks Online connection is set up for Canadian companies today.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Pennsylvania?
As of 2026 the state rate is 6%. Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh, adds 1% for 7%, and Philadelphia adds 2% for 8%. There are no other local sales taxes. Confirm the current rate for your address with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue before setting up your POS.
How do I combine the Pennsylvania state rate and my local rate in a POS?
Create the state rate (6%) and your local rate (1% Allegheny or 2% Philadelphia) as separate tax rates, tick "for tax group only" on the local ones, then combine them in a tax group, for example "Philadelphia 8%". Assign the group to taxable products. Customers see one tax total, while reports keep each part.
Is clothing taxed in Pennsylvania?
Most clothing and footwear is exempt from Pennsylvania sales tax, while some accessories and formal wear are taxable. Set exempt clothing to a 0% rate in SeroPOS and taxable items to your state or local rate. Check the Department of Revenue's list for the items you sell.
Are these Pennsylvania sales tax rates current?
The rates on this page are well-known public rates as of 2026. State and local rates change, often at the start of a quarter, so confirm the rate for your exact address with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue before you open. In SeroPOS each rate is stored once, so a change is a single edit.
How much does SeroPOS cost?
Standard is $30 a month and Pro is $50 a month, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed. Standard covers the full POS for one location and three users. Pro adds the floor plan designer, multi-till, CRM, recipes, advanced reports, QuickBooks and WooCommerce. Extra locations are charged at the plan price.