Jackson, MS Local Taxes & Fees: Business Tax Classification (2026)
Key Facts
- Tobacco wholesale tax
- $50.00/year (§ 114-41(a))
- Tobacco retail tax
- $5.00/year per location (§ 114-41(b))
- Beer/wine retail tax
- $15.00/year (§ 114-42)
- Beer/wine wholesale tax
- $50.00/year (§ 114-43)
- License term
- One year, non-transferable (§§ 114-38, 114-39)
- Enforcing office
- Director of Revenues and Assessments
Summary
Jackson taxes businesses through a privilege license system that varies by classification: tobacco wholesalers pay $50 a year, tobacco retailers pay $5 per location, beer and wine retailers pay $15, and wholesalers pay $50. The Director of Revenues and Assessments issues the license, which must be obtained before a business opens and renewed annually under City Code Chapter 114, Article II.
On each privilege exercised within this city for which a municipal privilege license tax is authorized by the laws of the state, the city hereby levies a privilege license tax on each such privilege in the maximum amount authorized by the laws of the state. ... There is hereby levied and imposed an annual privilege tax of $50.00 upon each person in the business of distributing or selling at wholesale cigarettes or smoking tobacco; provided, however, that the warehouse or wholesale business is located in the city. There is hereby levied and imposed an annual privilege tax of $5.00 upon each person selling cigarettes or smoking tobacco at retail where the business is located in the city; provided, however, that this tax shall be paid for each place of business operated by such retailers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55).
Full Breakdown
) and adopted locally. 00 per year for each place of business (§ 114-41(b)). 00, but only if their warehouse or plant is located in the city (§ 114-43). Before a business may open its doors, § 114-37 requires the owner to procure the license and pay the classification's tax to the Director of Revenues and Assessments; the license is valid for one year from issuance and can be renewed within the month the prior tax was paid (§ 114-38), but it is not transferable to another owner or location (§ 114-39).
Businesses claiming a state-law tax exemption must obtain an annual exemption certificate from the Director rather than simply going unlicensed (§ 114-45), and property owners with tax-exempt status still owe construction-related license and permit fees collected by the Planning and Development Department (§ 114-46).
Violations & Fines
Failing to procure the license and pay the classification's tax before commencing business is a misdemeanor under §§ 114-40 and 114-44, punishable on conviction by fine and imprisonment as authorized by state law, plus the state-law-maximum delinquency penalty added to the unpaid tax. The Director of Revenues and Assessments may also seize and sell the violator's property to collect the tax and penalty, the same remedy used against delinquent ad valorem taxpayers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Jackson tax every business the same amount?
When must a Jackson business get its privilege license?
Can a Jackson business transfer its privilege license to a new owner?
What happens if a Jackson business doesn't pay its privilege tax?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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