How do I calculate sales tax on a price?

Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal). For example, $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax. Total = $54.

Which US state has the highest sales tax?

California has the highest statewide sales tax at 7.25%. However, when local taxes are added, some cities in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas have combined rates exceeding 11%.

Sales Tax Calculator

Q: How do I remove sales tax from a total?

Divide the total price by (1 + tax rate). For example, if total is $54 and tax rate is 8%: $54 ÷ 1.08 = $50 pre-tax price. Tax amount = $54 - $50 = $4.

Q: Which US states have no sales tax?

Five US states have no statewide sales tax: Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Alaska. Note that Alaska allows local municipalities to impose their own sales taxes.

Add tax to a price, remove tax from a total, or find the rate — instant results for any amount.

Enter a pre-tax price and tax rate to calculate the tax amount and final price.

Pre-Tax Price ($)

Tax Rate (%)

Pre-Tax Price

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Tax Amount
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Total Price

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Have a price that already includes tax? Find the pre-tax amount and tax paid.

Total Price (tax included) ($)

Tax Rate (%)

Pre-Tax Price

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Tax Amount
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Total Price

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Know the pre-tax price and the final total? Find the tax rate that was applied.

Pre-Tax Price ($)

Total Price (with tax) ($)

Tax Rate
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Tax Amount

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Tax as % of Total

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Click any state to use its tax rate in the calculator. Rates shown are statewide base rates — local taxes may add more.

* State base rates only. Combined state + local rates may be higher. Rates as of 2024 — verify with your local authority.

Sales Tax — Why the Price Tag Almost Never Tells You What You'll Actually Pay

There's a specific type of mild frustration that happens at checkout lines across America. You pick something up, it says $49.99. You mentally budget $50. Then the cashier says $54.37. You hand over your card slightly confused, make a quick mental note that taxes exist, and move on. But if you're doing any kind of real shopping — budgeting a home renovation, pricing out a business purchase, comparing costs across states — that gap between the sticker price and what you actually pay matters a lot.

Sales tax in the United States isn't uniform, it isn't simple, and it isn't always obvious what rate applies to what you're buying. This calculator handles the three most common scenarios: adding tax to a price, stripping tax out of a total, and finding the rate that was applied. The state lookup tab gives you the base rate for all 50 states so you're not guessing.

Adding Sales Tax to a Price

The straightforward version: multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal) to get the tax amount, then add it to the price.

Tax Amount = Price × (Tax Rate ÷ 100) Total Price = Price + Tax Amount = Price × (1 + Tax Rate ÷ 100)

Example: A $79.99 item with 9.5% sales tax.
Tax = $79.99 × 0.095 = $7.60
Total = $79.99 + $7.60 = $87.59

Removing Sales Tax from a Total (Reverse Sales Tax)

This is the one that trips people up. If you have a total that already includes tax and you want the pre-tax price, you don't just subtract the percentage from the total. That gives you the wrong answer. You divide the total by (1 + tax rate).

Pre-Tax Price = Total ÷ (1 + Tax Rate ÷ 100) Tax Amount = Total − Pre-Tax Price

Example: You paid $108.50 including 8.5% tax. What was the pre-tax price?
Pre-Tax = $108.50 ÷ 1.085 = $100.00
Tax Paid = $108.50 − $100.00 = $8.50

Common mistake: $108.50 × 0.085 = $9.22 — this is wrong because 8.5% of the total is not the same as 8.5% of the pre-tax price.

US Sales Tax Is Complicated — Here's Why

Unlike most countries that use a national VAT or GST, the United States has no federal sales tax. Instead, 45 states plus the District of Columbia levy their own state sales taxes, and most of those states also allow counties and cities to add their own local taxes on top. The result is that the effective sales tax rate varies not just by state, but by county and city.

Tennessee's state rate is 7%, but when you add local taxes in some cities, the combined rate can reach 9.75% or more. Louisiana's state rate is 4.45% but combined rates in some parishes exceed 11%. Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Alaska have no statewide sales tax — though Alaska allows local sales taxes.

What gets taxed also varies by state. Most states exempt groceries, prescription medications, and clothing (at some price levels). Some states tax services. Some have special rates for manufacturing equipment or agricultural supplies. If you're making a significant purchase, checking the specific rules in your jurisdiction is worth doing.

Business Applications: When Getting This Right Matters

For individual purchases, a few dollars of sales tax is rarely consequential. For businesses, it adds up fast. A contractor buying $200,000 in materials at 8% pays $16,000 in sales tax. Getting the reverse calculation wrong on invoices can result in over- or under-collecting tax from customers, which creates accounting headaches and potential compliance issues. The reverse sales tax calculation in Tab 2 is particularly useful for anyone who needs to back out the tax component from a tax-inclusive total on a receipt or invoice.

States With No Sales Tax — What to Know

Shopping in Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana, Delaware, or Alaska means paying no state sales tax. This makes meaningful differences on large purchases. Buying a $30,000 car in Oregon versus a state with 7% sales tax saves $2,100. Some people make deliberate decisions about where to register vehicles or make major purchases based on sales tax jurisdictions — which is legal and common, though the rules around residency and use tax vary.

How to Use This Sales Tax Calculator

Tab 1 — Add Tax to Price

Enter the pre-tax price and your tax rate. Select a US state from the dropdown to auto-fill the rate. Results show tax amount, total price, and a full breakdown.

Tab 2 — Remove Tax from Total

Enter a tax-inclusive total and the rate. The calculator uses reverse calculation to find the original pre-tax price and the exact tax amount paid.

Tab 3 — Find Tax Rate

Enter the pre-tax price and total paid to calculate what tax rate was applied. Useful for verifying receipts or identifying the tax on items where the rate isn't stated.

Tab 4 — US State Rates

Browse all 50 state base rates. Click any state to load its rate directly into the calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Tax

How do I calculate sales tax on a purchase?

Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal. For a $50 item at 8% tax: $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax. Total = $54. Alternatively, multiply by (1 + rate): $50 × 1.08 = $54.

How do I remove sales tax from a total?

Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + tax rate as decimal). For a $108 total at 8%: $108 ÷ 1.08 = $100 pre-tax. Tax paid = $8. Never subtract the percentage from the total directly — that gives the wrong answer.

Which US states have no sales tax?

Five states have no statewide sales tax: Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Alaska. Alaska allows local municipalities to charge sales tax. Note that even in no-sales-tax states, specific items or categories may still be taxed differently.

What is the difference between sales tax and VAT?

Sales tax is charged only at the final point of sale to the end consumer. VAT (Value Added Tax) is charged at every stage of production and distribution, with businesses reclaiming the VAT they paid on inputs. The US uses sales tax. Most other countries use VAT. For consumers, both result in paying tax on final purchases, but VAT is embedded in the price while US sales tax is typically added at checkout.

Do online purchases require sales tax?

Yes, in most cases. Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require out-of-state online sellers to collect sales tax even without a physical presence. Most major online retailers now collect sales tax in all states that have it. The rate that applies is generally based on the shipping destination (destination-based sourcing).

Are groceries taxed?

It varies by state. Many states fully exempt groceries from sales tax — including California, New York, Texas, and Illinois (with some exceptions). Some states apply a reduced rate to groceries. A few states tax groceries at the full rate. Prepared food (restaurant meals, deli items) is taxable in most states even when raw groceries are exempt.

What is use tax?

Use tax is the companion to sales tax. If you buy something without paying sales tax — for example, purchasing from an out-of-state seller who doesn't collect your state's tax — technically you owe use tax to your home state at the same rate. Most individuals don't pay it, but businesses are generally required to track and remit use tax on taxable purchases where sales tax wasn't collected.

How do I calculate sales tax on a car?

Apply your state's rate to the purchase price (or sometimes the fair market value, for used cars). For a $35,000 car at 7%: $35,000 × 0.07 = $2,450 in sales tax. Some states cap the tax on vehicle purchases; trade-in credits may reduce the taxable amount. Check your state's DMV for the exact rules, as vehicle sales tax often differs from general sales tax.