Consumer Use Tax Guide

Colorado use tax is a complement to Colorado sales tax and is imposed for the privilege of storing, using, or consuming tangible personal property in Colorado. Taxable uses of tangible personal property include, but are not limited to, the keeping or retention of it, any exercise of dominion or control over it, and the waste or destruction of it.

In general, whenever a purchaser acquires tangible personal property without paying sales tax at the time of the sale, they must pay consumer use tax directly to the Department. If an item is exempt from sales tax, it is generally exempt from use tax as well.

The Colorado use tax rate is 2.9%, the same as the sales tax rate in Colorado, and use tax is calculated in the same manner as sales tax. A taxpayer may claim a credit against the Colorado use tax due for any legally imposed sales or use tax they previously paid to another state with respect to the same tangible personal property.

The filing and remittance requirements for Colorado use tax depend on multiple factors. Individuals may generally remit use tax annually, but businesses generally must remit use tax as it is accrued. Any Colorado use tax due for a motor vehicle must be remitted to the county clerk at the time of registration.

The Colorado Department of Revenue administers use taxes for both the State of Colorado and certain special districts within the state, including the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (CD), and certain Regional Transportation Authorities (RTA). However, the Department does not administer any city or county use taxes. The information in this publication applies to state and state-administered special district use taxes but generally does not apply to city and county use taxes, including any use taxes imposed and collected by any home-rule cities. Please see the information about motor vehicles and construction and building materials in Part 4 of this publication and contact the city or county directly for information about their use tax.

This publication is designed to provide general guidance regarding Colorado use tax requirements prescribed by law. Nothing in this publication modifies or is intended to modify the requirements of Colorado’s statutes and regulations. Taxpayers are encouraged to consult their tax advisors for guidance regarding specific situations.