Vertex Report: Rising Sales Tax Rates Signal a New Era of Tax Volatility

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX) (“Vertex” or the “Company”), the Decision-to-Defense™ global indirect tax and compliance company, today released its 2026 Mid-Year U.S. Sales Tax Rates and Rules Report, revealing that the combined average U.S. sales tax rate climbed for the first time in four years to reach a 10-year high of 10.1881%. The findings suggest businesses are operating in an increasingly dynamic tax environment, where governments are not only adjusting rates but also expanding tax bases, introducing new revenue mechanisms, and redefining how tax applies across goods, services, and digital transactions.

“Businesses can no longer treat sales tax changes as routine compliance updates,” said Chris Hall, Senior Tax Officer at Vertex. “Rate and rule changes are happening with greater frequency at a local level across more categories of goods and services. As tax policy becomes more dynamic, businesses need greater visibility, agility and confidence in the systems they rely on to respond.”