diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tag/_common.scss b/packages/core/src/components/tag/_common.scss
index c9ae5c48fb5..bb3df7f8ec9 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tag/_common.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tag/_common.scss
@@ -11,14 +11,13 @@ $tag-margin: ($pt-input-height - $tag-height) / 2 !default;
 $tag-height-large: $pt-grid-size * 3 !default;
 $tag-padding-large: ($tag-height-large - $pt-icon-size-large) / 2 !default;
 
-// styles for a default .pt-tag
-@mixin tag($removable-selector: "&.pt-tag-removable") {
+@mixin pt-tag() {
   display: inline-block;
   position: relative;
   border: none;
   border-radius: $pt-border-radius;
   box-shadow: none;
-  background: $gray1;
+  background-color: $gray1;
   min-width: $tag-height;
   padding: $tag-padding ($tag-padding * 3);
   line-height: $pt-icon-size-standard;
@@ -30,26 +29,16 @@ $tag-padding-large: ($tag-height-large - $pt-icon-size-large) / 2 !default;
   }
 
   .pt-dark & {
-    &:not([class*="pt-intent-"]) {
-      background: $gray5;
-      color: $pt-text-color;
-    }
+    background-color: $gray5;
+    color: $pt-text-color;
   }
 
-  #{$removable-selector} {
+  &.pt-tag-removable {
     padding-right: $tag-height;
   }
-
-  @each $intent, $color in $pt-intent-colors {
-    &.pt-intent-#{$intent} {
-      background: $color;
-      color: $white;
-    }
-  }
 }
 
-// updated properties for a .pt-tag.pt-large
-@mixin tag-large($removable-selector: "&.pt-tag-removable") {
+@mixin pt-tag-large() {
   min-width: $tag-height-large;
   padding: $tag-padding-large ($tag-padding-large * 2);
   line-height: $pt-icon-size-large;
@@ -59,49 +48,49 @@ $tag-padding-large: ($tag-height-large - $pt-icon-size-large) / 2 !default;
     border-radius: $tag-height-large / 2;
   }
 
-  #{$removable-selector} {
+  &.pt-tag-removable {
     padding-right: $tag-height-large;
   }
 }
 
-@mixin tag-minimal() {
+@mixin pt-tag-intent($background-color, $text-color: $white) {
+  background: $background-color;
+  color: $text-color;
+}
+
+@mixin pt-tag-minimal() {
   &:not([class*="pt-intent-"]) {
-    background: rgba($gray3, 0.2);
+    background-color: rgba($gray3, 0.2);
     color: $pt-text-color;
 
     .pt-dark & {
-      background: rgba($gray3, 0.2);
       color: $pt-dark-text-color;
     }
   }
+}
 
-  @each $intent, $color in $pt-intent-colors {
-    &.pt-intent-#{$intent} {
-      background: rgba($color, 0.15);
-      color: map-get($pt-intent-text-colors, $intent);
-    }
+@mixin pt-tag-minimal-intent($background-color, $text-color, $dark-text-color) {
+  background-color: rgba($background-color, 0.15);
+  color: $text-color;
 
-    .pt-dark &.pt-intent-#{$intent} {
-      background: rgba($color, 0.2);
-      color: map-get($pt-dark-intent-text-colors, $intent);
-    }
+  .pt-dark & {
+    background-color: rgba($background-color, 0.25);
+    color: $dark-text-color;
   }
 }
 
-// styles for default .pt-tag-remove
-@mixin tag-remove() {
+@mixin pt-tag-remove() {
   @include pt-icon();
 
   position: absolute;
   top: 0;
   right: 0;
   opacity: 0.5;
-
   border: none;
   background: none;
   cursor: pointer;
   padding: $tag-padding;
-  color: $white;
+  color: inherit;
 
   &:hover {
     opacity: 0.8;
@@ -109,34 +98,16 @@ $tag-padding-large: ($tag-height-large - $pt-icon-size-large) / 2 !default;
     text-decoration: none;
   }
 
-  &::before {
-    content: $pt-icon-small-cross;
+  &:active {
+    opacity: 1;
   }
 
-  // standard (non-minimal) tags have a unique text color in dark theme.
-  // intent tags don't change in the dark theme.
-  .pt-dark .pt-tag:not(.pt-minimal):not([class*="pt-intent-"]) & {
-    color: $pt-text-color;
+  &::before {
+    content: $pt-icon-small-cross;
   }
-}
 
-// updated properties for .pt-tag.pt-large .pt-tag-remove
-@mixin tag-remove-large() {
-  @include pt-icon-sized($pt-icon-size-large);
-  margin-left: $pt-grid-size / 2;
-  padding: $tag-padding-large;
-}
-
-@mixin tag-remove-minimal() {
-  color: inherit;
-
-  @each $intent, $color in $pt-intent-colors {
-    .pt-intent-#{$intent} & {
-      color: $color;
-    }
-
-    .pt-dark .pt-intent-#{$intent} & {
-      color: $color;
-    }
+  .pt-large & {
+    @include pt-icon-sized($pt-icon-size-large);
+    padding: $tag-padding-large;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tag/_tag.scss b/packages/core/src/components/tag/_tag.scss
index 2f5d0420298..4ae25d5eab8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tag/_tag.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tag/_tag.scss
@@ -53,11 +53,17 @@ Styleguide components.tag.css
 */
 
 .pt-tag {
-  @include tag();
+  @include pt-tag();
 
   &.pt-large,
   .pt-large & {
-    @include tag-large();
+    @include pt-tag-large();
+  }
+
+  @each $intent, $color in $pt-intent-colors {
+    &.pt-intent-#{$intent} {
+      @include pt-tag-intent($color);
+    }
   }
 
   /*
@@ -85,23 +91,24 @@ Styleguide components.tag.css
   */
 
   &.pt-minimal {
-    @include tag-minimal();
+    @include pt-tag-minimal();
+
+    @each $intent, $color in $pt-intent-colors {
+      &.pt-intent-#{$intent} {
+        @include pt-tag-minimal-intent(
+          $color,
+          map-get($pt-intent-text-colors, $intent),
+          map-get($pt-dark-intent-text-colors, $intent)
+        );
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
 
 .pt-tag-remove {
-  @include tag-remove();
-
-  .pt-large & {
-    @include tag-remove-large();
-  }
-
-  .pt-minimal & {
-    @include tag-remove-minimal();
-  }
+  @include pt-tag-remove();
 }
 
-
 /*
 JavaScript API