Our free sales tax calculator works in two directions: add sales tax to a pre-tax amount to get the total, or subtract tax from a tax-inclusive total to find the original pre-tax price. Pick a US state preset (California 7.25%, New York 8.875%, Texas 8.25%, Florida 6.5%, Washington 9.29%, Illinois 10.25%, Pennsylvania 6%, Georgia 7.4%, Arizona 8.37%, Massachusetts 6.25%) or enter a custom rate for local jurisdictions. The calculator instantly returns the tax amount, total or pre-tax price, and effective rate, with a clear breakdown suitable for receipts, invoices, and online purchases.
Pre-tax amount → total with tax
Auto-fills from state preset; edit to override (picks Custom)
| State | Rate | Tax | Total |
|---|
Add Tax (to a pre-tax price) or Reverse (extract from a total).
Your pre-tax price or tax-inclusive total.
Pick a US state preset or enter a custom rate.
See tax amount, pre-tax price, total, and effective rate instantly.
Forward: multiply the pre-tax price by the rate to get tax, then add to get the total. Reverse: divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + rate) to recover the pre-tax price, then subtract to get the tax portion.
Tax = Amount x Rate; Total = Amount x (1 + Rate); Pre-tax = Total / (1 + Rate)
California state base rate is 7.25% but local districts can push it to 10.25%+
New York City combined rate is 8.875% (4% state + 4.5% city + 0.375% MCTD)
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon
Use reverse mode when your receipt shows only the total and you need to back out the tax
Sales tax is generally charged on tangible goods; many services, groceries, and prescription drugs are exempt
Online purchases are taxed based on the buyer's shipping address (post-Wayfair ruling)
For compound taxes (e.g., Quebec GST + QST), apply each rate sequentially, not summed
Instantly add sales tax to a pre-tax amount or reverse-calculate the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total. Includes presets for California, New York, Texas, Florida, and other major US states, plus a custom-rate option for any local jurisdiction.
US sales tax rates vary widely by state and local jurisdiction. California's state base is 7.25% (highest in the US), while Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana, Delaware, and Alaska charge no statewide sales tax.
Use our state presets for quick estimates or enter a custom combined rate.
If your receipt shows only the total, switch to Reverse mode. The calculator divides the total by (1 + rate) to recover the pre-tax price.
This is useful for expense reports, bookkeeping, and backing out tax from tax-inclusive quotes.
For a $100 purchase:
Sales tax is the purchase price multiplied by the combined tax rate: Tax = Price × Rate, and Total = Price × (1 + Rate).
On a $100 purchase at an 8% combined rate, the tax is $8.00 and the total is $108.00.
The combined rate is the state rate plus any county and city rates, so two addresses in the same state can owe different amounts. This calculator applies the rate to your price and also works in reverse.
To back out the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total, divide by one plus the rate: Pre-Tax = Total ÷ (1 + Rate). A $108.00 total at an 8% rate came from a $100.00 item.
This is useful for expense reports and bookkeeping when only the receipt total is known.
The calculator's reverse mode does this automatically so you can separate the base price and the tax from any all-in amount.
US sales tax is set at the state, county, and city levels, so combined rates vary widely.
According to the Tax Foundation, combined state-and-local averages range from around 0% in no-sales-tax states to over 9% in states like Louisiana and Tennessee. California has the highest statewide base rate.
Because local add-ons stack on top of the state rate, always use the rate for the specific delivery or purchase location, not just the state figure.
Five states levy no statewide sales tax — often remembered by the acronym NOMAD:
Alaska allows local sales taxes even without a state one.
The Tax Foundation notes these states typically make up revenue through higher income or property taxes. If you buy in a no-sales-tax state but use the goods in your home state, you may still owe 'use tax' on the purchase.
States apply sales tax by either origin or destination sourcing. In destination-based states (the majority), the rate is that of the buyer's location; in origin-based states, it is the seller's location.
This distinction matters most for shipped and online orders.
The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board works to standardize these rules across states, but sellers must still track which rule each state uses to charge the correct rate.
US sales tax is charged once, to the final consumer at the point of sale. VAT, used across Europe and much of the world, is collected at each stage of production with businesses reclaiming the tax they paid on inputs.
The end result is similar for the consumer, but VAT's multi-stage collection and higher rates (often 17-27%) differ sharply from the single-stage US model.
The US has no federal sales tax or VAT.
Since the Supreme Court's 2018 South Dakota v. Wayfair decision, states can require online sellers to collect sales tax once they exceed an economic 'nexus' threshold (a dollar or transaction volume) in that state, even without a physical presence.
This is why most e-commerce checkouts now add sales tax based on the shipping address.
Small sellers should track where they cross each state's nexus threshold to know where they must register and collect.
Frequent mistakes include:
Consumers also assume a displayed price includes tax when US prices are usually pre-tax.
Always apply the full combined rate for the exact location, and sellers should track nexus by state.
Data sourced from trusted institutions
All formulas verified against official standards.