Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax on any purchase. Select your state for automatic tax rates, or enter a custom rate.
How Sales Tax Works
Sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of sale on goods and services. In the United States, sales tax is set at both the state and local level, meaning the total rate varies depending on where you make a purchase. The formula is simple: Tax Amount = Price × Tax Rate. For example, a $100 item in Texas (8.20% combined rate) would cost $108.20 after tax.
Five states — Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Alaska — have no state-level sales tax, though Alaska allows local jurisdictions to charge their own. Louisiana has the highest combined state and local rate at 10.11%, followed by Tennessee (9.61%) and Washington (9.51%). Knowing your local combined rate helps you budget accurately for larger purchases like electronics, furniture, or vehicles. Use our tip calculator after calculating tax to figure out gratuity on restaurant bills, or check the discount calculator to see how much you save during sales.
To find the pre-tax price from a total that already includes tax, use the reverse formula: Pre-Tax Price = Total ÷ (1 + Tax Rate/100). This is useful when a receipt shows only the final amount and you need to separate the tax for expense reports or reimbursements. Our calculator handles both directions — enter a pre-tax amount to see the total, or enter a total to find the original price and tax breakdown.