Sales Tax Calculator

How to use the calculator

1. Price: the pre-tax price when adding tax, or the tax-inclusive total when removing it.
2. State: where the sale takes place, which is usually where you receive the item.
3. Rate: State + average local gives a realistic estimate for most purchases; State rate only ignores county and city taxes; Custom rate lets you type the exact combined rate for your address.
4. Calculation: Add tax shows the tax and the total; Remove tax shows the price before tax and the tax that was included.

The total appears when you add tax; the pre-tax price appears when you remove it.

How sales tax is calculated

To add tax, the price is multiplied by the rate:

Tax = Price × Rate and Total = Price + Tax

To remove tax from a total, the calculator divides instead of subtracting a percentage, because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax amount:

Pre-tax price = Total ÷ (1 + Rate) and Tax = Total − Pre-tax price

Results are rounded to the cent. The State + average local option uses the Tax Foundation's population-weighted average of local rates, added to the statewide rate. It is an estimate: your actual rate depends on the city, county and special districts where the sale happens, and some items are taxed at different rates or exempt.

Examples

1. A $100 purchase in California

With the state rate plus average local rate of 9.03%, the tax is $9.03 and the total $109.03. Using the 7.25% statewide rate alone, the tax would be $7.25 and the total $107.25. District taxes make up the difference.

2. Texas: state rate vs. local

On a $59.99 item, the 6.25% state rate gives $3.75 of tax ($63.74 total). With the average combined rate of 8.20%, the tax is $4.92 and the total $64.91. Texas allows local taxes of up to 2%, for a maximum of 8.25%.

3. New York City, exact rate

For a $899.99 laptop at New York City's 8.875% rate, entered as a custom rate, the tax is $79.87 and the total $979.86.

4. Backing tax out of a receipt

A receipt shows $54.12 including 8.25% tax. Removing the tax gives a pre-tax price of $50.00 and $4.12 of tax. Subtracting 8.25% from $54.12 would give the wrong answer.

Sales tax rates across the U.S.

As of July 1, 2026, the highest average combined state and local rates are in Louisiana (10.13%), Tennessee (9.61%), Washington (9.57%), Arkansas (9.48%) and Alabama (9.46%), according to the Tax Foundation. The population-weighted national average is about 7.53%.

Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Alaska is the exception among them, since it lets local governments levy sales taxes, averaging 1.82%. In the other four, the calculator returns $0 of general sales tax, although some local or specific taxes, for example on lodging or meals, can still apply.

For the exact rate at a given address, check your receipt or your state revenue department's rate lookup.