You pay sales tax on retail purchases in Oklahoma City. The tax is calculated based on the sales price. The MAPS model has been to add one cent on every dollar to the sales tax already collected.

In most of Oklahoma City, the sales tax rate is 8.625 percent. For every dollar spent, the charge is an additional 8.625 cents.

Of the the 8.625 cents in sales tax per dollar spent, 4.5 cents goes to the State of Oklahoma general fund. That is spent by the state Legislature. The other 4.125 cents goes to the City of Oklahoma City. Of that, 2.25 cents goes to the City's General Fund (day-to-day operations, most of which is public safety), an additional 0.75 cents for public safety, 0.125 cents to the Zoo, and the last penny for a temporary sales tax. From April 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2017, that temporary sales tax was dedicated to MAPS 3. From Jan. 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020, it's dedicated to Better Streets, Safer City.

The portions of Oklahoma City that are in Cleveland County, Canadian County or Pottawatomie County are also subject to an additional county sales tax. Oklahoma County does not have a county sales tax.