Sales Tax Calculator
Add tax to a price, remove tax from a total, or find the tax rate from any two prices. Supports multi-item carts with quantities.
All calculations happen in your browser. No data is sent anywhere.
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Understanding Sales Tax
How sales tax works
Sales tax is a consumption tax imposed by state and local governments on the sale of goods and services. It is calculated as a percentage of the pre-tax price and added at the point of sale. In the US, rates vary by state, county, and city — the combined rate can range from 0% (in states with no sales tax) to over 10% in some localities. Unlike VAT, US sales tax is only collected at the final point of sale, not at each stage of production.
Tax-inclusive vs tax-exclusive pricing
When a price is tax-exclusive (the most common in US retail), the displayed price does not include tax — tax is added at checkout. When a price is tax-inclusive, the tax is already embedded in the sticker price, which is common in many other countries. To extract the pre-tax amount from a tax-inclusive price, divide by (1 + rate): a $108 total with 8% tax has a pre-tax price of $108 ÷ 1.08 = $100.
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Open calculator →FAQ
How is sales tax calculated?
Sales tax = Pre-tax price × Tax rate. The total price = pre-tax price + tax amount. For example, a $50 item at 8% tax: tax = $50 × 0.08 = $4.00; total = $54.00.
What is the difference between tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive prices?
Tax-exclusive prices (most US retail) show the price before tax — tax is added at checkout. Tax-inclusive prices already embed the tax in the displayed amount, common in many other countries. Use the "Remove Tax" tab to extract the pre-tax amount from an inclusive price.
How do I find the pre-tax price from a total?
Divide the total by (1 + tax rate as a decimal). Example: $108 total at 8% tax → $108 ÷ 1.08 = $100 pre-tax. Tax paid = $108 − $100 = $8. The "Remove Tax" tab does this automatically.
What is the average US sales tax rate?
The average combined state + local US sales tax rate is approximately 7–8%. Rates vary widely: some states (Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware) have no sales tax; others like California and Tennessee can reach over 10%. Always check your local rate for accurate calculations.