Louisiana sales tax: collecting and filing across parishes

This is the one that trips up every Louisiana business. You don't just collect state sales tax — each parish (and some cities) levies its own local sales tax, with its own rate, that you file separately. Here's how to keep it straight.

Do this

1. Register for state sales tax on LaTAP and get your sales tax account.
2. Charge the combined rate for where the sale happens — state rate plus that parish's local rate (rates differ by parish).
3. Register with each parish where you have a presence or make sales.
4. File and pay through Parish E-File, which lets you handle multiple parishes from one place.

The Multi-Parish Sales Tax Playbook

Louisiana sales tax has TWO layers: • STATE sales tax — filed with the LA Dept of Revenue (via LaTAP) • LOCAL sales tax — set and collected by each PARISH (and some cities)

Why it's confusing: every parish has its own rate and its own return. A sale in Lafourche is taxed differently than one in Orleans.

How to stay sane: 1. Track which parish each sale happens in 2. Charge the right combined rate (state + that parish's local rate) 3. File LOCAL returns through Parish E-File — one site, multiple parishes: parishe-file.revenue.louisiana.gov 4. Louisiana now offers a combined state + local filing system — use it if you sell across several parishes; it's a single, uniform return. 5. Keep every parish on the same filing frequency (e.g. all monthly).

Tip: a bookkeeper or your LA SBDC advisor can set this up with you once, then it's just upkeep.