Sales Tax Calculator
Quickly calculate how much tax you owe and the final total price.
How sales tax works
Sales tax is a percentage of the purchase price added at checkout by the seller and remitted to state and local governments. The rate you pay is the combined state plus local rate for your specific location.
Example 1 (forward): A $250 item in a city with 8% combined tax. $250 x 0.08 = $20 tax. Total: $270.
Example 2 (reverse): You paid $54 total and want the pre-tax price at 8% tax. $54 / 1.08 = $50.00 pre-tax. Tax paid: $4.00.
Sales tax rates by state category
| Category | Examples | Approx. Rate |
|---|---|---|
| No sales tax | Oregon, Montana, Delaware, NH, Alaska | 0% |
| Low rate states | Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii | 3-4% |
| Average rate states | Florida, Texas, Nevada, Ohio | 6-7% |
| High rate states | California, Indiana, Mississippi | 7-8% |
| Highest combined rates | Parts of Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas | 10-12% |
Rates are approximate. Local city and county taxes stack on top of the state rate, which is why the combined rate can be significantly higher than the base rate.
Good to know
Most states exempt groceries, prescription drugs, and some clothing from sales tax. The definition of "grocery" varies -- candy and soda are taxed in some states where other food is not. Always check your receipt when buying mixed orders.
When to use the sales tax calculator
- ✓Budgeting the real cost of a purchase before heading to the store
- ✓Comparing whether buying online (no tax) vs. in-store is cheaper overall
- ✓Working out the pre-tax price when you only have the receipt total
- ✓Estimating tax on a large purchase like electronics or furniture
- ✓Checking if a store charged you the correct tax rate
Why sales tax is hard to predict
Unlike most countries with a single national tax rate, the US has a patchwork of state, county, and city rates that can stack on top of each other and vary block by block. A purchase in downtown Nashville can carry a combined rate above 9.75%, while the same purchase in Portland, Oregon costs nothing in sales tax. Online shoppers and budget planners often can't reliably predict their total checkout cost until the final screen -- and that uncertainty makes planning a purchase difficult.
The calculator gives you the exact figure before you commit. The forward calculation (price to tax) tells you what you will owe. The reverse calculation (total to pre-tax) tells you what a purchase actually cost before tax was added -- useful for expense reports, price comparisons, and verifying receipts.
How to interpret your sales tax result: a step-by-step framework
- 1Use the combined rate for your specific location: Your sales tax rate is the sum of your state rate plus any local county or city rates. These can differ significantly even within the same city -- one neighborhood may be in a special taxing district. Look up your exact combined rate at your state's Department of Revenue website or use a zip code lookup tool. Using only the state rate will underestimate your actual tax.
- 2Enter the post-discount price as your taxable base: Tax is applied after discounts in virtually all US jurisdictions. If you used a coupon, enter the discounted price -- not the original -- as the taxable amount. A $120 item at 25% off is taxed on $90, not $120. The difference at 9% tax is $2.70 -- significant on larger purchases.
- 3Check whether your specific item is taxable: Sales tax does not apply uniformly to all goods. Unprepared groceries are fully exempt in about 32 states. Prescription drugs are exempt in most states. Clothing is exempt year-round in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and during annual tax-free weekends in about 17 other states. The calculator assumes a fully taxable item -- verify your category before relying on the result for exempt or partially exempt purchases.
- 4Use the reverse calculator for receipt checks and expense tracking: If you only have the final total and the tax rate, use the reverse mode to find the pre-tax price. Formula: Pre-tax = Total / (1 + Tax Rate). This is useful for expense reports (many require the pre-tax amount), for confirming that a retailer charged the correct rate, and for comparing prices where one is tax-included and another is not.
- 5Factor tax into cross-state purchase decisions: For large purchases -- appliances, electronics, furniture -- the tax difference between states can be meaningful. A $3,000 sofa carries $0 in sales tax in Oregon but roughly $285 in Tennessee. If you live near a state line, the math is sometimes worth doing before a major purchase.
How US sales tax is structured
Understanding the three-layer structure helps you find the right rate for any purchase and avoid the most common errors.
State rate
Set by the state legislature and uniform across the state. Ranges from 0% (Oregon, Montana, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Alaska at the state level) to 7.25% (California). This is the floor -- local rates are added on top.
Local rate
Added by counties, cities, or special taxing districts. Can range from 0% to over 5% depending on location. Two stores in the same state can charge different combined rates if one is inside a city with a local tax and one is outside.
Combined rate
State rate plus all applicable local rates. This is the number that appears on your receipt. For the most accurate figure, look up your zip code on your state's tax authority website.
3 common sales tax mistakes
What to do next
If a coupon or sale applies to your purchase, use the Discount Calculator first to find the discounted price, then bring that result here for the tax calculation. Sellers pricing for a specific after-tax take-home can use the Margin Calculator to confirm margin at different price points. For a full breakdown of rates in all 50 states, see the guide on US sales tax rates by state.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
From the blog
All articles →About this calculator
This sales tax calculator uses the standard formula: Tax Amount = Price x (Tax Rate / 100), Total = Price + Tax Amount. The reverse calculation uses Pre-tax = Total / (1 + Rate / 100).
State rate data referenced on this page reflects figures published by the Tax Foundation in their annual State and Local Sales Tax Rates report, and by the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA), which compiles statutory rates from all 50 state revenue departments. Combined rate ranges reflect the Sales Tax Institute's rate lookup database, which aggregates state, county, and municipal layers.
Exemption rules (groceries, prescription drugs, clothing) are summarized from each state's Department of Revenue published guidance. Because rates and exemption rules change through legislative sessions, always verify your specific jurisdiction's current rate with your state tax authority before filing.
This tool is maintained by the MyPctCalculator editorial team and reviewed periodically for accuracy. No user data is stored or transmitted; all calculations run locally in your browser.