Mississippi penny rounding law

With no Mississippi rule for store sales, the calculator applies the nearest-nickel method used by most state laws and the federal bill, or rounding in the customer’s favor. Choose another state to compare.

Mississippi law and bills

Two rounding bills were filed in the 2026 session, and both died:

• SB 2680 (Sen. DuPree) would have required merchants to round cash purchases to the nearest five cents. It was referred to the Senate Business and Financial Institutions Committee on January 19, 2026 and died there on February 3.
• SB 2847 (Sen. Johnson) would have required final amounts owed to the state and its political subdivisions to be rounded to the nearest 5¢. It passed the Senate on February 4, 2026, but died in House committee on March 3.

The 2026 regular session has ended. We found no Department of Revenue or Attorney General guidance on rounding.

Can a Mississippi store round cash totals?

As store policy, yes. With no statute, a store picks its method. The Mississippi Consumer Protection Act bars unfair and deceptive practices, so a store that rounds should round both ways and post a sign. Rouses Markets, which has Mississippi stores, rounds change up in the customer’s favor.

Federal law

There is no federal rounding rule in force either. The Common Cents Act (H.R. 10167) passed Congress on September 28, 2026, but as of October 31, 2026 we found no record of it being signed. If enacted, it would let sellers in Mississippi round cash totals symmetrically to the nearest 5¢ without requiring anyone to round, keep pennies legal tender, and protect sellers that follow its method from conflicting state or local rules. Federal status of the penny.

Your options as a customer

• Pay by card, debit, EBT or app. Those payments are charged the exact amount; rounding only ever touches cash.
• Pay with exact change. Pennies are still legal tender (31 U.S.C. § 5103). The Federal Reserve notes, though, that no federal law makes a private business accept cash or coins. We found no Mississippi law that changes that, so a store sets its own payment policy. Federal Reserve FAQ.
• Check the receipt. It should show the exact total and a separate rounding line, so you can see which way it went.
• Report a problem. If a store rounds every cash total up without telling customers, contact the Mississippi Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. See also is it legal for a store to round up?

Sales tax

Mississippi’s general sales tax rate is 7%, and food for home consumption is taxed at a reduced 5% state rate, so grocery receipts carry tax too. Compute tax on the actual price, then round only the cash total. More on sales tax and cash rounding.

SNAP, EBT and card payments

SNAP and WIC benefits are paid electronically, so the EBT part of any purchase in Mississippi is always charged to the exact cent. Federal rules require stores to treat SNAP shoppers the same as other customers, so a store that rounds the cash part of a split payment should use the same rule for everyone. SNAP/EBT, cards and refunds.

Stores and local news in Mississippi

The Magnolia Tribune reported in March 2026 that signs in Mississippi stores were telling customers cash totals would be rounded to the nearest five cents, even though the state, unlike several neighbors, had set no rule.

Rules in neighboring states

Shopping across the line? Rounding rules change at the border.

Checked against the sources below as of October 31, 2026. Compare every state in the state-by-state tracker.