Managing Sales Tax

Walk-in services at all DRS branch office locations remain suspended. Email DRS at drs@po.state.ct.us. Email the Priority One Taxpayer Assistance Program: DRSPriorityOne_CollectionsAssist@po.state.ct.us. Please check our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Managing Sales Tax

How to File Sales and Use Tax

On-Line using the Taxpayer Service Center (TSC)
Over the telephone using our Business Telefile System

Filing Due Dates

When you register, you will be set up to file sales tax returns on a quarterly or monthly basis. Remember: even if you did not make any sales for the period or if all your sales were exempt from sales tax, you must file a return for every period or your account will become delinquent.

For quarterly filers, the reporting periods and due dates of the return are:

Reporting Periods	Due Dates
January 1 - March 31	April 30
April 1 - June 30	July 31
July 1 - September 30	October 31
October 1 - December 31	January 31

If your sales tax liability is less than $1,000 for the prior 12-month period, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, the Department will notify you in writing that you are being changed to annual filing status. The due date for annual filers is the last day of January for the previous calendar year's sales.

If your sales tax liability is more than $4,000 for the prior 12-month period, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, the Department will notify you in writing that you are being changed to monthly filing status. The due date for monthly returns is the last day of the following month.

For a calendar with all the due dates, please visit Business Tax Return and Payment Due Dates.

Information on Filing the Disaggregated Sales Tax Report -IP 2007(23).

Late filing of Sales tax returns

NOTE TO TAXPAYERS: Effective for tax periods ending on or after December 31, 2019, the late payment penalty for electronic filers has been changed from a graduated rate to a flat percentage. The late payment penalty is 10% for all tax types other than Sales and Use Taxes, which is at 15%.

INTEREST is charged at the rate of 1% per month or fraction of a month from the due date until the date of the payment. If you do not include the penalty and interest with your payment of tax, you will be billed.

If you pay by check, a failure to comply penalty will be assessed for not paying electronically.

Reporting Computer and Data processing Services sold by your business.

Report the total gross receipts of the sale of computer and data processing services on Line 3 of Form OS-114, Sales and Use Tax Return. Then follow the instructions for Line 74 of the return: Multiply the applicable gross receipts by .8425 for services on or after July 1, 2011 and enter the result on Line 74, Column B. That amount is added to any other deductions on the back of the return. By reducing the gross receipts of computer and data processing services the effective tax rate is 1%.

Sales Tax Rates

There is only one statewide sales and use tax. There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions in Connecticut. The statewide rate of 6.35% applies to the retail sale, lease, or rental of most goods and taxable services. However, there are exceptions:

The tax on the rental or leasing of a passenger motor vehicle for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days or less is 9.35%.
A tax rate of 7.75% applies to the following: the sale for more than $50,000 of most motor vehicles, the sale for more than $5,000 of jewelry (whether real or imitation), the sale for more than $1,000 of an article of clothing or footwear intended to be worn on or about the human body, a handbag, luggage, umbrella, wallet or watch.
The sales and use tax rate for the sale of computer and data processing services is 1%. For more information on the taxation of computer services, please review Policy Statement 2006(8), Sales and Use Taxes on Computer-Related Services and Sales of Tangible Personal Property.
The sales and use tax rate is 4.5% on the sale of motor vehicle to a nonresident member, or a member and his or her spouse jointly, of the armed forces of the United States stationed on full-time active duty in Connecticut. For more information see Policy Statement 2001(4), Sales of Motor Vehicles to Nonresident Military Personnel and Joint Sales of Motor Vehicles to Nonresident Military Personnel and Their Spouses.
A sales and use tax rate of 2.99% applies to the sale of vessels, motors for vessels and trailers used for transporting a vessel. See Special Notice 2018(5.1), Legislative Changes Affecting Motor Vehicle Fuels Tax, Sales and Use Taxes, and Rental Surcharge.

Common Filing Errors to Avoid

Do not skip filing a return because you have no sales to report. You MUST file a ZERO return or report the amount of total sales even if the tax is ZERO. An unfiled return will allow your account to go delinquent.
Remember late sales and use tax return cannot be filed using a telephone system. If the return is late, the return must be filed on-line,
If you are reporting nontaxable sales or services (Deductions) on line 8, make sure you itemize the appropriate deductions by clicking on the Deductions button to select your deduction(s).
Use line A, B, or C for “Other Deductions” not on deductions list of the sales and use tax return,
Remember the Deductions amount listed on line 8 can never be more than total “Gross Receipts” amounts listed on line 1, 2 or 3 of the sales and use tax return,
Be careful when selecting the period for which you are filing a return,
Generally, Sales and Use tax registration number is 10 or 11 digits number ending with 001. Use correct tax registration number (TID) to file Sales and Use tax return,
If you are closing the business, make sure to file a “Final Tax Return” by checking the box and entering last date of business.
Report only purchases subject to use tax by your business on line 4, 5 or 6 of the Sales and Use tax return. Please do not list inventory items purchased for resale on line 8 of the return.

Connecticut State Department of Revenue Services