Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax, or work out the price before tax.
The amount is
Optional
Your result
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Enter your numbers to see the result.
This sales tax calculator adds sales tax to a price or works backwards from a total that already includes tax. Enter the amount and your combined state and local rate. It’s useful for shopping, invoices, expense reports and checking a receipt.
What is a Sales Tax Calculator?
Sales tax is a tax on retail purchases collected by the seller at checkout. In the US it’s set by states and often topped up by counties, cities and special districts, so the rate depends on exactly where the sale happens. Combined rates commonly range from 0% to over 10%.
A sales tax calculator adds the tax to a price or, in reverse, finds the pre-tax price inside a total. Five states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon) have no statewide sales tax, though some Alaska localities do.
How does the Sales Tax Calculator work?
The calculator adds the state and local rates to get the combined rate. To add tax, it multiplies the price by the rate. To remove tax, it divides the total by (1 + rate).
Results are rounded to the cent; retailers may round per item, so receipts can differ by a cent or two.
How to use the Sales Tax Calculator step by step
- Enter the amount.
- Choose before tax or including tax.
- Enter the state rate.
- Add the local rate for your city or county.
- Read the tax and total, or the pre-tax price.
- Copy the numbers into your expense report or invoice.
Sales Tax Calculator example with real numbers
You’re buying a $249.99 item in a city with a 6.25% state rate and a 2% local rate.
| Example input | Value |
|---|---|
| Amount | $249.99 |
| The amount is | Before tax |
| State sales tax rate | 6.25% |
| Local (city/county) rate | 2% |
| Example output | Value |
|---|---|
| Total with tax | $270.61 |
| Price before tax | $249.99 |
| Sales tax | $20.62 |
| Combined rate | 8.250% |
| Total | $270.61 |
The combined rate is 8.250%, so the sales tax calculator adds $20.62 for a total of $270.61.
Key features of this Sales Tax Calculator
- Add tax or reverse it
- State and local rates combined
- Cent-level accuracy
- Clear price and tax split
- Copy and CSV
Who should use the Sales Tax Calculator?
Who is this Sales Tax Calculator for?
- Shoppers checking totals
- Small business owners writing invoices
- Employees filing expense reports
- Online sellers
Practical use cases
- Finding the total on a big purchase
- Backing tax out of a receipt for reimbursement
- Comparing prices across cities
- Estimating sales tax on a car
Key benefits
- Two-way: add or remove tax.
- Accurate: combined rates handled.
- Fast: instant results.
- Simple: no account needed.
Tips for better results
- Look up the exact combined rate for the delivery address; it can vary by ZIP code.
- Car sales tax is usually based on where the car is registered, not where it’s bought.
- Some items, like groceries or clothing, are exempt or taxed at lower rates in many states.
- Online purchases are generally taxed at the buyer’s location.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using only the state rate and forgetting local taxes.
- Applying tax to exempt items.
- Adding tax to a price that already includes it.
- Assuming the same rate across a whole state.
Limitations of this Sales Tax Calculator
- You enter the rates; the calculator doesn’t look up rates by address.
- Product-specific exemptions aren’t applied.
- Rounding may differ slightly from retailer receipts.
Sales Tax Calculator vs other ways to calculate
| Item | Typical treatment |
|---|---|
| General merchandise | Taxed at the combined rate |
| Groceries | Exempt or reduced in many states |
| Clothing | Exempt in a few states |
| Vehicles | Taxed where registered, often with special rules |
State revenue department websites publish official rate lookups. For income tax rather than sales tax, use the income tax calculator.
Privacy and data handling
This Sales Tax Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to Qorico or stored on any server, and nothing is saved after you close the page. The Copy and Download buttons create the result on your own device. If the page has analytics turned on, it may count that a calculation happened, but it does not record the values you entered.
Sales Tax Calculator FAQs
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the combined rate. $249.99 at 8.25% is about $20.62 of tax.
How do I remove sales tax from a total?
Divide the total by (1 + rate). $270.61 including 8.25% tax was $249.99 before tax.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax; some Alaska localities charge their own.
Is car sales tax paid in the buyer's state?
Usually yes: you pay the rate where the vehicle is registered, often at the DMV.
Why is my receipt a cent different?
Retailers may round tax per item rather than on the total.
Do I pay sales tax on online purchases?
Generally yes. Most states require online sellers to collect tax based on the delivery address.
Related tools
Sources and references
We checked the method and the current figures used in this Sales Tax Calculator against these official and primary sources:
- Federation of Tax Administrators: state tax agencies
- Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board
- IRS: Internal Revenue Service
Written and reviewed by the Qorico Team
