Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax and total price, whether you're adding tax on or working it out from a tax-inclusive price.
Sales Tax Calculator
Enter your price and tax rate to calculate sales tax.
Tax Breakdown
What This Sales Tax Calculator Does
This tool applies your entered tax rate directly to the pre-tax purchase price, calculating the exact tax amount owed and adding it to the original price to produce a final total, removing any manual percentage math when comparing prices across different tax jurisdictions or verifying a checkout total.
How to Use the Sales Tax Calculator
Enter the pre-tax price of the item or purchase. Enter the applicable sales tax rate for your specific location, which varies considerably by state, county, and even city in many places. The tax amount and final total price appear instantly once calculated.
The Sales Tax Formula This Calculator Applies
Tax amount equals the pre-tax price multiplied by the tax rate divided by 100. Total price equals the pre-tax price plus that calculated tax amount. This calculator also supports the reverse calculation, working backward from a known total price to find the original pre-tax amount, useful when only a final receipt total is available.
Pro Tip: Sales tax rates are set independently by state, county, and sometimes city governments, meaning the combined effective rate for an identical purchase can differ meaningfully even between nearby locations.
Adding Tax: Tax = Price × Rate ÷ 100 | Total = Price + Tax
Removing Tax: Price = Total ÷ (1 + Rate ÷ 100) | Tax = Total − Price
Use "Remove Tax" when you only know the final price and need to find the original pre-tax amount.
Why Sales Tax Rates Vary So Significantly by Location
Sales tax rates are set independently by state, county, and sometimes city governments, meaning the combined effective rate for an identical purchase can differ meaningfully even between nearby locations. This makes a flexible calculator considerably more useful than memorizing a single fixed rate, particularly for anyone shopping or doing business across multiple jurisdictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply the pre-tax price by the applicable tax rate divided by 100, which gives the exact dollar amount of tax owed on that specific purchase.
Yes, entering a known total price along with the tax rate lets the calculator solve in reverse for the original pre-tax purchase amount.
Sales tax rates are set independently by state, county, and sometimes city governments, which is why the combined effective rate can vary meaningfully even between nearby locations.
Sales tax varies by state, county, and even city in the US, and by country elsewhere. Check your local tax authority's website for the exact combined rate that applies to your purchase.