Sales Tax Calculator

Enter a price and select your US state (or a custom rate) to instantly see the tax amount and final price. Supports add-tax and remove-tax modes.

Price before tax

Tax rate

How to use the Sales Tax Calculator

Enter the price
Type the price of the item or service. Choose 'Add tax to price' if you want to find the total including tax, or 'Remove tax from price' if you already have a tax-inclusive total and want to find the pre-tax amount.
Select your US state or enter a custom rate
Choose your state from the dropdown to use the current state-level base rate. If your jurisdiction has a different effective rate (including local taxes), switch to 'Custom rate' and enter the combined percentage.
Read your results instantly
The calculator shows the pre-tax price, the tax amount, and the final total all at once. Results update live as you type.

About this Sales Tax Calculator

Sales tax in the United States is administered at the state level, with rates ranging from 0% (in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon) to 7.25% (California). Most states also allow counties and cities to levy additional local sales taxes on top of the state rate, so the combined rate a consumer actually pays is often higher than the state base rate shown in our calculator.

The states with the highest combined state and local rates are Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Washington, and Alabama — often exceeding 9%. The states with the lowest or zero state-level rates are the five states listed above.

Unlike VAT (used in the UK, EU, and many other countries), US sales tax is only collected at the final point of sale to the end consumer. Businesses that purchase goods for resale or manufacture can typically claim a sales tax exemption. Common consumer exemptions include groceries (in many states), prescription drugs (in most states), and clothing below a threshold value (in some states like New York and Pennsylvania).

Our sales tax calculator uses state base rates as a reference. Always check your state and local tax authority for the exact combined rate applicable in your area, particularly for large purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal. For example, a $50 item at 8% sales tax: $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax, so the total is $54. Our calculator does this instantly when you enter the price and select a rate.

State sales tax rates range from 0% (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon) to 7.25% (California). Many states also allow local jurisdictions to add additional tax on top of the state rate, so the effective rate consumers pay is often higher than the state base rate.

Divide the total price (including tax) by (1 + tax rate). For example, if you paid $54 and the tax rate is 8%: $54 ÷ 1.08 = $50 pre-tax. Our calculator handles this automatically with the 'Remove tax' toggle.

Exemptions vary widely by state. Common exemptions include groceries (many states), prescription medications (most states), and clothing under a certain value (some states like New York and Pennsylvania). Always check your state's Department of Revenue for the current exemption rules.

Sales tax (used in the US) is collected only at the final point of sale to the consumer. VAT (Value Added Tax, used in the UK, EU, and many other countries) is collected at every stage of the supply chain, with each business reclaiming VAT on their inputs. For the end consumer, both result in a higher price — but the collection mechanism is fundamentally different.