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Formula
Tax = Price × (Rate ÷ 100); Total = Price + Tax; Price = Total ÷ (1 + Rate ÷ 100)
- Price
- the price before sales tax
- Rate
- the combined state and local sales tax rate, in percent
- Total
- the amount paid including sales tax
What this sales tax calculator does
Sales tax is a percentage that a state, and often a county or city, adds to the price of goods and some services at the register. U.S. shelf prices are usually shown before tax, so the number on the tag is not what you pay. This sales tax calculator works in three directions:
- Add tax: enter a price and a rate to get the tax and the total.
- Remove tax: enter a total that already includes tax to get the price before tax and the tax inside it. This is sometimes called a reverse sales tax calculation.
- Find the rate: enter the price before tax and the total to see what rate was charged.
You type the rate yourself. There are no built-in state tables, because rates change often and depend on the exact address of the sale.
How to use the sales tax calculator
- Choose Add tax, Remove tax or Find the rate.
- Enter the amount. Thousands separators such as 1,250 are fine.
- Enter the combined sales tax rate as a percentage, for example 8.25 for 8.25%.
- Read the result and the working line underneath, which shows the exact sum.
How to calculate sales tax by hand
The sales tax formula is tax = price × rate. Convert the rate to a decimal by dividing it by 100, then multiply. On a phone calculator, you can type the price × 1.0625 (for a 6.25% rate) to get the total in one step.
For a $36.50 purchase at 6.25%:
- 6.25 ÷ 100 = 0.0625
- Tax = 36.50 × 0.0625 = 2.28125, which rounds to $2.28
- Total = 36.50 + 2.28 = $38.78
How to take sales tax out of a total
A total that includes tax is the price multiplied by (1 + rate). To undo that, divide. For a $107.10 receipt at 5%:
- Price before tax = 107.10 ÷ 1.05 = $102.00
- Tax = 107.10 − 102.00 = $5.10
Subtracting 5% of $107.10 would give $101.75, which is 25 cents too low, because the 5% was charged on the pre-tax price, not on the total.
How to find the sales tax rate from a total
If a $25 item rang up as $26.75, the tax was $1.75. Divide by the pre-tax price: 1.75 ÷ 25 × 100 = 7%.
Sales tax at common rates
The table gives the tax in dollars, rounded to the cent. The last column is the number to divide a tax-inclusive total by.
| Rate | Tax on $10 | Tax on $50 | Tax on $100 | Tax on $500 | Divide total by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4% | $0.40 | $2.00 | $4.00 | $20.00 | 1.04 |
| 5% | $0.50 | $2.50 | $5.00 | $25.00 | 1.05 |
| 6% | $0.60 | $3.00 | $6.00 | $30.00 | 1.06 |
| 6.25% | $0.63 | $3.13 | $6.25 | $31.25 | 1.0625 |
| 7% | $0.70 | $3.50 | $7.00 | $35.00 | 1.07 |
| 8.25% | $0.83 | $4.13 | $8.25 | $41.25 | 1.0825 |
| 9.5% | $0.95 | $4.75 | $9.50 | $47.50 | 1.095 |
Finding the right rate
The rate you pay is usually a combination of a statewide rate and local rates for the county, city and any special districts. According to the Tax Foundation, five states have no statewide sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon), while average combined state and local rates in Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington, Arkansas and Alabama are above 9.4%. The population-weighted national average is around 7.5%.
Because two addresses in the same state can have different rates, check your state revenue department. California’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration, for example, publishes a rate for every city and county and an address lookup. Your receipt is another reliable source: put the pre-tax price and the total into the find-the-rate mode.
What is taxed
States decide which items are taxable. Many exempt groceries or prescription drugs, some tax clothing at a lower rate or not at all, and prepared food often carries an extra local tax. This calculator applies one rate to the whole amount, so for a mixed basket, calculate the taxable items separately.
Real-life uses
- Budgeting a purchase: know the real cost of a $1,200 laptop at 8.25% before you get to the register ($1,299 in total).
- Expense reports: split a receipt total into the pre-tax amount and the tax.
- Small sellers: work out the tax to collect on a sale, or the price to charge so the total lands on a round number.
- Sales: apply the discount first with the discount calculator, then add tax to the sale price.
- Dining out: tips are usually based on the pre-tax subtotal; the tip calculator works that out.
Common mistakes
- Subtracting the rate to remove tax instead of dividing by 1 + rate.
- Using only the state rate and forgetting county and city taxes.
- Entering the rate as a decimal. Type 7 for 7%, not 0.07.
- Rounding too early. Round only the final tax to the cent. For any other percentage question, the percentage calculator shows each step.
Worked examples
Adding tax to a purchase
A $249.99 purchase at a 7.25% sales tax rate.
Inputs (Add tax): Price before tax = $249.99; Sales tax rate = 7.25 %
Tax = $249.99 × 7.25% = $18.12 Total = $249.99 + $18.12 = $268.11
Answer: $249.99 plus 7.25% sales tax ($18.12) is $268.11.
Taking tax out of a total
A receipt total of $86.92 that already includes 6.5% sales tax.
Inputs (Remove tax): Total including tax = $86.92; Sales tax rate = 6.5 %
Price before tax = $86.92 ÷ (1 + 6.5%) = $86.92 ÷ 1.065 = $81.62 Tax = $86.92 − $81.62 = $5.30
Answer: $86.92 including 6.5% sales tax is $81.62 before tax plus $5.30 tax.
Finding the rate from a receipt
Items costing $64 before tax rang up as $69.60.
Inputs (Find the rate): Price before tax = $64; Total including tax = $69.60
($69.60 − $64.00) ÷ $64.00 × 100 = 8.75%
Answer: $5.60 of tax on $64.00 is a sales tax rate of 8.75%.
A tax-free purchase
Edge case: a $58.40 purchase in a state with no sales tax (0%).
Inputs (Add tax): Price before tax = $58.40; Sales tax rate = 0 %
Tax = $58.40 × 0% = $0.00 Total = $58.40 + $0.00 = $58.40
Answer: $58.40 plus 0% sales tax ($0.00) is $58.40.
Assumptions and limitations
- You enter the sales tax rate. The calculator does not look up state, county or city rates, so use the combined rate for where the sale takes place.
- Tax is rounded to the nearest cent, half a cent rounding up. Some states round per item or use bracket tables, so a register can differ by a cent.
- In the remove-tax mode, the price before tax is the total divided by (1 + rate) and rounded to the cent; the tax is the total minus that price.
- In the find-the-rate mode, the rate is the tax divided by the pre-tax price. Because stores round tax to the cent, a rate worked out from a receipt can be slightly off.
- Rates from 0% to 30% are accepted. The calculator applies one rate to the whole amount and does not handle exempt items or different rates for food, clothing or prepared meals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the tax rate as a decimal. At 6% tax, a $45 purchase has 45 × 0.06 = $2.70 in tax, for a total of $47.70. You can also multiply by 1.06 in one step.
How do I take sales tax out of a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. A $63.60 total at 6% tax was 63.60 ÷ 1.06 = $60 before tax, so the tax was $3.60. Subtracting 6% of $63.60 gives the wrong answer.
How do I figure out the sales tax rate from a total?
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. A $44 purchase that totals $47.30 has $3.30 of tax, and 3.30 ÷ 44 × 100 = 7.5%. Use the find-the-rate mode.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax, according to the Tax Foundation. Alaska and Montana allow some local sales taxes, so a purchase there can still be taxed.
What sales tax rate should I use?
Use the combined rate, which is the state rate plus any county, city and special district rates for the place of sale. Your state revenue department publishes rates, often with a lookup by address.
Can I deduct sales tax on my federal tax return?
If you itemize, the IRS lets you deduct state and local general sales taxes instead of state and local income taxes, using your receipts or the IRS optional sales tax tables. The deduction is part of the overall cap on state and local taxes.
Sources
- State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 — Tax Foundation. Checked October 10, 2026.
- Topic no. 503, Deductible taxes — Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 10, 2026.
- California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Checked October 10, 2026.