Does Ohio Charge Sales Tax on Services?

by Sarah Craig June 9, 2023

Almost every US state requires sellers to charge sales tax on tangible personal property, also known as physical goods. Many states also implement sales and use tax on digital goods and SaaS offerings. Because the economy has shifted over time from a manufacturing economy to a service economy, states are now looking to generate revenue by taxing services as well.

Here’s what merchants need to know about taxing services in the state of Ohio.

Are services subject to Ohio sales tax?

Many services are subject to Ohio’s 5.75% sales tax rate:

Rental of hotel rooms or similar sleeping accommodations for less than 30 days by establishments with five or more sleeping rooms
Provision of landscaping or lawn care service, if annual sales of this service equal or exceed $5,000
Providing private investigation or security service
Supplying information service through use of a nine-hundred telephone call
Production of tangible personal property from material supplied by the customer, like a tailor using fabric furnished by the customer
Building maintenance and janitorial service, if annual sales of this service equal or exceed $5,000
Exterminating service
Physical fitness facility service
Recreation and sports club service
Repair of tangible personal property (except repair of property which is exempt from sales tax)
Installation of tangible personal property (except installation of property which is exempt from sales tax)
Washing (except coin-operated), cleaning, waxing, polishing, or painting of motor vehicles
Towing service for motor vehicles
Laundry and dry cleaning service, excluding sales made through coin operated machines
Automatic data processing, computer services, or electronic information services provided for use in a business. Electronic information services include internet access charges and e-mail service charges for use in a business
Certain telecommunication services
Satellite broadcasting service
Personal care service, including skin care, application of cosmetics, manicures, pedicures, hair removal, tattoos, body piercing, tanning, massage and other similar services. This does not include hair cutting, coloring, and styling
Transportation of persons, within Ohio, except by public transit systems or commercial airlines
Snow removal service, if annual sales of this service equal or exceed $5,000
Storage of tangible personal property (except such property that the consumer of the storage holds for sale in the regular course of business)

Professional, personal, and insurance transactions are not subject to sales tax when any transfer of tangible personal property is a small item for which no separate charge is made.

Please keep in mind that this is a guideline, and you should consult with a sales tax professional to determine if the services your business provides should be taxed. For an in-depth look at sales tax in Ohio, TaxJar’s guide to sales tax in Ohio and the Ohio Department of Taxation has more details.