Taxes in Meridian
Idaho levies a real, current flat 5.3% individual income tax (cut from 5.695% via House Bill 40, signed March 2025) and a flat 6% statewide sales tax with no Ada County local-option add-on -- a genuinely different picture from the no-income-tax states built elsewhere in this project, and a real, current example of a rate Idaho has cut repeatedly in recent years.
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Learn moreIdaho's Flat Income Tax Is Real, Current, and Recently Cut -- Not a No-Income-Tax State
Idaho levies a flat 5.3% individual income tax as of 2026, applying the same rate to all taxable income regardless of bracket -- a genuinely different structure from both the no-income-tax states built earlier in this project (Nevada, Washington) and the graduated-bracket states built even earlier (Virginia, Alabama). This rate was cut from 5.695% via House Bill 40, signed by Governor Brad Little in March 2025, continuing a real, repeated pattern of Idaho income-tax cuts in recent years -- worth verifying again at any future review, since this pattern may continue.
A Flat 6% Statewide Sales Tax, No Local Add-On in Ada County
Idaho's statewide sales tax rate is a flat 6%, and Ada County -- including Meridian -- imposes no local-option add-on, meaning the combined rate paid in Meridian is simply Idaho's 6% statewide rate. This is genuinely different from Idaho's voter-approved resort cities (Sun Valley, Ketchum, and similar), which layer up to a further 3% local resort tax on top of the state rate.
Property Taxes Carry a Real, Disclosed Spread -- Pointer to Full Detail
As detailed in full on the property-taxes topic page, Ada County's effective property tax rate carries a real, disclosed spread (roughly 0.46%-0.76%) across methodologies reviewed, with Idaho's Homeowner's Exemption offering a real, meaningful reduction for owner-occupants -- covered in full there rather than repeated here.
No Idaho Capital Gains Excise Tax Comparable to Washington's
Unlike Washington's capital gains excise tax (a real, distinct tax covered for Washington markets built elsewhere in this project), Idaho does not levy a separate capital gains excise tax -- capital gains are simply taxed as ordinary income under Idaho's flat 5.3% rate, a real, structurally simpler picture than Washington's narrower, high-earner-targeted tax.
Idaho Does Not Tax Social Security Benefits
Idaho does not tax Social Security benefits at the state level, a real, meaningful benefit for retirees -- see the retiring topic page for the fuller retirement-income tax picture, including how Idaho's flat income tax does apply to other retirement income sources like pension and retirement-account withdrawals.
Key takeaways
- Idaho levies a real, current flat 5.3% individual income tax (cut from 5.695% via House Bill 40, March 2025) -- a genuinely different, and repeatedly-cut, tax picture from the no-income-tax states built elsewhere in this project.
- Idaho's statewide sales tax is a flat 6%, with no Ada County local-option add-on -- distinct from Idaho's voter-approved resort cities, which layer up to a further 3% on top.
- Ada County's effective property tax rate carries a real, disclosed spread (roughly 0.46%-0.76%) -- see the property-taxes topic page for the full detail.
- Idaho does not levy a separate capital gains excise tax the way Washington does -- capital gains are taxed as ordinary income under Idaho's flat rate.
- Idaho does not tax Social Security benefits at the state level, though its flat income tax does apply to other retirement income sources -- see the retiring topic page.
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