Sales tax is a percentage or particular amount charged on goods or services and collected by a retailer. Sales tax payment isn't separated but added to the cost of a good. For every purchased item, a consumer pays the sales tax and it gets remitted to the government by the seller. In the United States alone, in well over 30 states, consumers pay combined local and state sales taxes on every product or service purchase. The remittance of these taxes from consumers is a responsibility of each business, and it's done quarterly or on a monthly basis.To charge sales tax, businesses need a permit. Application for sales tax is accompanied by a fee charge in some regions, although some regions give sales permits free of charge.Note that collected sales tax is to be remitted accurately and promptly by businesses to avoid huge penalties.