Our ZIP Code Determines Sales Taxes
The following is from the U.S. Postal Service official ZIP code directory: If your ZIP code is 352xx, the postal service preferred city is Birmingham. It is not mandatory. As an example, our ZIP code is 35242, and Meadow Brook is our acceptable community name.
Many in the metro Birmingham area, while not residents of the city of Birmingham, mistakenly use Birmingham as their city name. This has resulted in loss of tax dollars for our county and puts your money in the pockets of the city of Birmingham.
If we order an item via the Internet on which sales tax is collected, and it is shipped to my address in Meadow Brook, the 5% sales tax goes to Shelby County, not Birmingham with its higher tax rate.
All residents in the metro area with 35242 in their ZIP code who do not live in the city of Birmingham should ensure their community name is correct in their address.