Sales Tax Calculator
Both directions of the checkout math: add sales tax to a price at any combined rate, or start from a receipt total and extract the pre-tax price and the tax you actually paid.
Sales tax
Example: $49.99 at 8.25% → $4.12 tax, $54.11 total.
Forward and backward
Forward is familiar: $49.99 at a combined 8.25% rate adds $4.12 of tax for a $54.11 total. Backward is the one people get wrong: a $100.00 receipt total at 8.25% contains $7.62 of tax — not $8.25 — because the tax was charged on the $92.38 pre-tax price, not on the total. Expense reports, budgeting, and VAT-inclusive price tags all need the backward direction. Every figure is computed by the same tested engine as the calculator above.
One purchase, many rates
US sales tax is a patchwork: the state base rate, county and city additions, and special district levies stack into the combined rate on your receipt — which is why the same purchase can be taxed differently across a county line. When precision matters, read the combined rate off a recent local receipt rather than assuming the state rate alone.
Frequently asked questions
What sales-tax rate should I enter?
Your combined state + local rate — in most of the US the state sets a base rate and counties/cities add to it, with combined rates commonly ranging from 0% (five states have no statewide sales tax, though some of them — like Alaska — allow local ones) to around 10%+. Your receipt, your city’s finance site, or your state revenue department will show the exact combined rate for a location.
How does the reverse mode work?
Dividing, not subtracting: a total that already includes r% tax equals the pre-tax price × (1 + r/100), so the pre-tax price is total ÷ (1 + r/100). Subtracting r% of the total instead is a common error that overstates the tax — on a $100 total at 8.25%, the tax inside is $7.62, not $8.25.
Is everything taxed at the same rate?
No — many states exempt or reduce rates on groceries, prescription drugs, or clothing, and some levy special higher rates on prepared food, lodging, or rental cars. This calculator applies one flat rate to one amount; itemize separately when categories differ.
Does this handle VAT?
Mechanically yes — VAT-inclusive pricing works exactly like the reverse mode, and many countries quote prices with VAT included. Enter the VAT rate and the tax-inclusive price in extract mode to see the tax embedded in a price.
Not tax advice: rates and taxability vary by jurisdiction and product category — confirm the applicable rate with your state or local revenue authority. Values are processed locally in your browser and never transmitted. See the methodology page.