Sales tax on mobile auto repair: what goes on the invoice

There is no national sales tax

Sales tax in the US is set at state level, and most states let counties, cities and special districts add their own tax on top. That means two jobs a few miles apart can carry different rates, and the same work can be taxable in one state and exempt in another. Five states have no statewide general sales tax at all, though localities in one of them still levy their own.

How it usually lands on mobile auto repair

Parts are tangible property and are taxable in most states with a sales tax; repair labor on vehicles is taxed in some states and exempt in others, and several states require parts and labor to be stated separately for the exemption to apply. Always split them on the invoice.

What a tax-ready invoice shows

• A unique, sequential invoice number.
• Your business name, address and, where you have one, your seller's permit or tax ID.
• The customer's name and the service address — the location often decides the rate.
• The invoice date and the date the work was performed.
• Materials and labor on separate lines, described per line.
• The taxable subtotal, the rate applied, and the tax amount as its own line.
• The total due, and any exemption certificate reference if the sale is exempt.

Finding your own rate

We deliberately do not publish rates — they change, and a stale number on an invoice is your problem, not ours. Look up the combined state and local rate for the service address with your state's revenue department, and confirm whether your type of work is taxable there before you charge or omit tax.

Worked example

Subtotal for the job

$285.00

Sales tax at your combined rate

you enter the rate

Total the customer pays

subtotal + tax

Any tax you collect is never your money — you are holding it for the state and remitting it on your next return.

Common questions

Should diagnosis be credited against the repair?

Your call, but say which on the invoice. Many mechanics show the diagnostic charge and then discount it visibly as a line when the repair is booked.

How long should a parts warranty be?

Twelve months or 12,000 miles is the common standard for installed parts. Put it on the invoice so there is no argument if the part fails.

Do customer-supplied parts change anything?

Yes — note that you warranty labor only on customer-supplied parts, on the invoice, every time.