Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a price, reverse it out of a total, or find the rate from a receipt — with the math shown.
Sales Tax Calculator
How to use the sales tax calculator
Pick what you want to find. Add tax turns a shelf price into what you’ll pay at the register. Price before tax works backward from a receipt total — handy for expense reports and returns. Find the rate tells you what percentage you were actually charged. Results update as you type, and the page address keeps your numbers so you can bookmark or share them.
Sales tax formulas
| You know | You want | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Price, rate | Total | total = price × (1 + rate ÷ 100) |
| Total, rate | Price before tax | price = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100) |
| Price, total | Rate | rate = (total − price) ÷ price × 100 |
Worked example: reversing tax from a receipt
You paid $54.11 for a jacket in a place with an 8.25% combined rate. The price before tax was $54.11 ÷ 1.0825 = $49.99, and the tax was $54.11 − $49.99 = $4.12. A common mistake is to take 8.25% off the total ($54.11 × 0.9175 = $49.65) — that undercounts the price because the tax was charged on $49.99, not on $54.11.
How sales tax works in the U.S.
There is no federal sales tax. States set a statewide rate, and many counties, cities and special districts add their own, so the rate you pay depends on exactly where the sale happens (or, for online orders, usually where it’s delivered). Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon — have no statewide sales tax, although some Alaska localities charge one. What’s taxable also varies: groceries, clothing and prescription drugs are exempt or taxed at lower rates in many states.
The quickest way to get your exact combined rate is your state’s department of revenue website, which usually has an address-based rate lookup. Then enter that rate above.
Tips
- Budgeting a big purchase? Add tax before you compare prices across stores or cities — a lower price in a higher-tax area can cost more.
- Buying a car? Sales tax is often charged after the trade-in credit; the auto loan calculator handles that.
- Discounts and tips: use the discount calculator for sale prices and the tip calculator to tip on the pre-tax amount.
- Outside the U.S.? Countries with VAT or GST show prices with tax included — the VAT calculator has country presets.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the tax rate written as a decimal, then add it to the price. For a $100 item at 7.25%, the tax is 100 × 0.0725 = $7.25 and the total is $107.25.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate. A $108 total at 8% tax was $108 ÷ 1.08 = $100 before tax. Subtracting 8% of $108 would give $99.36, which is wrong because the tax was charged on the lower pre-tax price.
How do I work out what tax rate I was charged?
Subtract the pre-tax price from the total to get the tax, then divide the tax by the pre-tax price and multiply by 100. Use the Find the rate mode above with the numbers from your receipt.
Is sales tax charged before or after a discount?
Usually on the discounted price you actually pay, but rules for coupons, rebates and manufacturer discounts vary by state. Check your state revenue department if the exact treatment matters.
Why doesn’t my receipt match the calculator by a cent?
Stores round tax per item or per receipt, and some states round differently. This calculator rounds the total tax to the nearest cent, which matches most single-item purchases.