Runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded

Sales Tax Calculator

This sales tax calculator adds sales tax to a price, or works backwards from a tax-inclusive total to the pre-tax amount. Enter your state and local rates, and total several items in one go.

Jurisdiction

Amount

State rate percent

Local rate percent

Amount includes tax?Optional item amounts, one per line (overrides amount)

Manual rates only: selecting a state does not look up a rate. Enter verified rates for your transaction and jurisdiction. Product exemptions and special taxes are not modeled.

Jurisdiction: Alabama
Combined rate: 0.00%
Pre-tax amount: 100.00
Tax: 0.00
Total: 100.00

How sales tax is calculated

Combined ratestate rate % + local rate %
Exclusive (adding tax)tax = price × rate; total = price × (1 + rate)
Inclusive (removing tax)pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate); tax = total − pre-tax
Several itemsamount = sum of the lines; tax applied once to the sum

Rates are entered as percentages, so 8.25 means 8.25%. Results are shown to the cent. Manual rates only: selecting a state does not look up a rate. Enter verified rates for your transaction and jurisdiction. Product exemptions and special taxes are not modeled.

Worked example: $250.00 in Texas

Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax and lets cities, counties and districts add up to 2% more. With the full 2% local rate the combined rate is 8.25%.

Mode	Pre-tax	Tax	Total
Exclusive: tag says $250.00	$250.00	$20.63	$270.63
Inclusive: receipt says $250.00	$230.95	$19.05	$250.00

A common mistake when removing tax is to take 8.25% off the total: $250.00 − 8.25% = $229.38. That understates the price, because the tax was charged on the pre-tax price, not on the total. Dividing by 1.0825 gives the right answer, $230.95.

When to add tax and when to remove it

Exclusive: tax added at checkout

US shelf prices, online carts, contractor quotes and budgets usually leave sales tax out. Use Exclusive to see what you'll actually pay. For a shopping list, put each price on its own line and the calculator gives one pre-tax subtotal, the tax and the total, the way a single receipt would.

Inclusive: tax already in the price

Use Inclusive when you only have the total — an expense report that needs tax shown separately, or a market stall that charges round, tax-included prices. A seller who charges $20.00 all-in at 8.25% keeps $18.48 and owes $1.52 in tax. Ten such sales bring in $200.00, of which $15.24 is sales tax.

State and local sales tax rates

Statewide rates on a $100.00 purchase

State	State rate	Tax	Total
California	7.25%	$7.25	$107.25
Washington	6.50%	$6.50	$106.50
Texas	6.25%	$6.25	$106.25
Florida	6.00%	$6.00	$106.00
New York	4.00%	$4.00	$104.00
Colorado	2.90%	$2.90	$102.90
Oregon	0.00%	$0.00	$100.00

State rates only. Local taxes are added on top almost everywhere, so the rate at the register is usually higher.

What to know before you enter a rate

California has the highest statewide base rate, 7.25%. Colorado's 2.9% is the lowest among states that have one.
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax. Alaska allows local sales taxes, so some towns there charge one.
Local rates follow the address, not the ZIP code. Two homes in one ZIP code can sit in different cities or special districts.
Many states exempt groceries or prescription drugs, or tax them at a lower rate. Enter taxable items only, or run exempt items separately.
If an online seller doesn't collect tax, most states with a sales tax expect you to pay use tax at the same rate.
Sales tax is added at the register. VAT and GST in other countries are usually already in the shelf price — use Inclusive mode to see the tax inside one.

Sources: Tax Foundation, "State and Local Sales Tax Rates"; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, sales and use tax; California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, sales and use tax rates; Alaska Department of Commerce, Alaska Taxable. Checked 15 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate sales tax?+

Multiply the price by the combined tax rate. At 8.25% — Texas's 6.25% state rate plus 2% local — tax on $250.00 is $250.00 × 0.0825 = $20.63, so you pay $270.63.

How do I find the price before tax from a total?+

Divide the total by 1 plus the rate; don't subtract the rate from the total. A $250.00 receipt at 8.25% is $250.00 ÷ 1.0825 = $230.95 before tax, with $19.05 of tax. Choose Inclusive under "Amount includes tax?" to do this.

Why doesn't choosing a state fill in the rate?+

On purpose. Local rates vary by city, county and special district, often within one ZIP code, and they change during the year. A rate filled in automatically could look right and be wrong. The state you pick only labels the result; enter the state and local rates that apply to your purchase.

What is a combined sales tax rate?+

It's the state rate plus every local rate that applies at the place of sale — county, city and special district. The calculator has one field for the state rate and one for all local rates together, and adds them. Your receipt or your state revenue department's rate lookup will show the combined figure.

Can I add up tax on several items?+

Yes. Put one amount per line in the item box and it replaces the single amount. $19.99, $4.50 and $35.00 at 8.25% come to $59.49 plus $4.91 tax, $64.40 in all. Tax is worked out on the sum, so a store that rounds tax line by line can differ by a cent.

How do I work out the sales tax rate from a receipt?+

Divide the tax by the pre-tax amount and multiply by 100. $4.13 of tax on $50.00 is $4.13 ÷ $50.00 × 100 = 8.26%. Receipts round tax to the cent, so the rate you get this way can be slightly off. The calculator doesn't solve for the rate; enter the rate you find to check the other figures.

Do I pay sales tax on online purchases?+

Usually, yes. Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision South Dakota v. Wayfair, states with a sales tax can require online sellers above a sales threshold to collect it, normally at the rate for the delivery address. If a seller doesn't collect it, your state may expect you to pay use tax yourself at the same rate.

Is sales tax the same as VAT?+

No. US sales tax is charged once, at the final sale, and is usually added at the register. VAT is collected at each stage of production and is normally already included in the shelf price. You can still use Inclusive mode to take VAT out of a price: £120.00 at 20% VAT is £100.00 before VAT and £20.00 of VAT.

Which states have no sales tax?+

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax. Alaska lets local governments charge one, so some Alaska towns do have sales tax. Enter 0 for the state rate and your local rate, if any.

Are groceries and clothing taxed?+

It depends on the state. Many states exempt groceries or tax them at a lower rate, and a few exempt clothing. This calculator applies one rate to everything you enter, so leave exempt items out or calculate them separately at their own rate.

Is anything I enter saved or sent?+

No. Prices, rates and items are calculated in your browser and are not stored or uploaded. The calculator doesn't fetch tax rates from any service — it only uses the rates you type.