There are many forms of taxation in the United States, some of which are levied by the federal government and others by local and state governments. In particular, one tax that affects the consumption of certain goods is the excise tax, a very specific, often very targeted tax that you sometimes pay without even realizing it. How is the excise tax different from the sales tax?

There are some special goods and services that are not subject to the sales tax rate, but instead are taxed at a different rate. The most common category of these items falls under the excise tax. This is a special tax rate that is levied on gas, fuel, tobacco and other goods that are strictly regulated by the government. This site explains everything in detail, I recommend you read https://irs-offices.com/california/los-angeles/. Some services are subject to an excise tax, such as highway use. Air transportation also falls into this category.

Second, sales tax is a percentage of the sales price. So if you buy a Mercedes S Class, you will pay more sales tax than if you buy a Toyota Corolla. The percentage of applicable tax is set by the local government, and this sales tax is in effect in 45 states in the United States.