What to enter
- What do you want to find?
- “Total price including tax” adds tax to a price you know. “Price before tax (from a total)” starts from the total you paid, or expect to pay, and removes the tax.
- Price
- The pre-tax price in the first mode, or the total including tax in the reverse mode. The label changes with the mode.
- Tax rate to use
- Choose a state’s base rate plus a local rate you enter, or a combined rate of your own.
- State
- The state where the sale is taxed. The calculator loads that state’s base sales tax rate.
- Local (city or county) rate
- Optional. Many localities add their own tax on top of the state rate. Find it on a receipt, on a state revenue department’s lookup tool or from the seller.
- Combined sales tax rate
- If you already know the total rate, enter it here instead of choosing a state.
How to read your results
The table lists the rates used and the three amounts that matter: the price before tax, the sales tax and the total. In the state mode, it shows the state base rate and your local rate separately, then the combined rate. The bar chart splits the total into the pre-tax price and the tax. Notes appear when a state has no general sales tax, or when a state has no state-level tax but allows local taxes, as Alaska does.
The formulas
Total = price before tax + tax
To work backward from a total, divide by one plus the rate. It is a common mistake to subtract the rate as a percentage of the total, which overstates the tax removed.
Tax = total − price before taxThe combined rate is the state base rate plus the local rate.
Worked examples
A $100 purchase in Texas with a 2% local tax
The state base rate is 6.25% and the local rate is 2%, so the combined rate is 8.25%. The tax is $8.25, and the total is $108.25.
Working backward. A receipt total of $108.25 with an 8.25% combined rate came from a pre-tax price of $100.00 and $8.25 of tax. Subtracting 8.25% of $108.25 would give a wrong answer of $99.32.
A custom rate. A $250 item taxed at 7% has $17.50 of tax, for a total of $267.50.
How sales tax varies across the states
The United States has no national sales tax. States set their own base rates, and counties, cities and special districts often add more, so the rate at the register can differ from the state’s headline rate by several points. The calculator’s state rates are the 2026 statewide base rates published by the Tax Foundation, without local taxes. Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Alaska and Montana allow some local or resort-area sales taxes, so a purchase there may still be taxed, and the calculator prompts you to add a local rate for Alaska. The highest statewide base rate is 7.25% in California.
A few examples from the calculator’s data:
| State | Base state rate |
|---|---|
| California | 7.250% |
| Texas | 6.250% |
| New York | 4.000% |
| Florida | 6.000% |
| Washington | 6.500% |
| Tennessee | 7.000% |
| Illinois | 6.250% |
| Colorado | 2.900% |
Rates change, so check your state’s revenue department for the current figure. What is taxable also varies: many states exempt groceries, prescription drugs or clothing, some tax services, and some tax digital goods. Online purchases are generally taxed based on where the buyer is located, and large marketplaces collect the tax for sellers in most states. Some places tax by the location of the seller, others by the destination, which is why two purchases can be taxed differently even in the same state.
Assumptions and limits
The estimate applies one combined rate to the whole amount. It does not know which items in a basket are exempt or taxed at a reduced rate, and it does not include special district taxes unless you add them to the local rate. Use your receipt or the seller’s quote for the exact figure. If you are applying a coupon or sale first, use the discount calculator, which lets you add tax to the discounted price, and the tip calculator for restaurant bills. For a vehicle purchase with a trade-in credit, the auto loan calculator handles the tax treatment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal, then add the result to the price. For $100 at 8.25%, the tax is $8.25 and the total is $108.25.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Divide the total by one plus the tax rate. Use the reverse mode to do it automatically.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no general statewide sales tax. Some allow local taxes, so check locally.
Why is my receipt different from the calculator?
Because of local taxes not included in the base rate, exemptions on some items, special districts or rounding on individual line items. Enter the combined rate from your receipt for a closer match.
Are online purchases taxed?
Generally yes, when the seller is required to collect tax where you live. Many states require large online marketplaces to collect it, and some purchases may be subject to use tax if none is collected.