Sales Tax Calculator
Add US sales tax to a price or work backwards from a receipt total to the pre-tax amount.
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Quick Tip
Choose whether you are adding tax to a price or removing it from a total.
About This Tool
Why use Sales Tax Calculator?
This sales tax calculator adds US sales tax to a pre-tax price, or works backwards from a receipt total to find the pre-tax amount and the tax charged. US sales tax is added at the register rather than shown in the shelf price, so the total is rarely what the label says.
Example: an $85 purchase at a combined 8.25% rate adds $7.01 of tax for a total of $92.01. Working the other way, a $92.01 receipt at 8.25% divides by 1.0825 to give an $85.00 pre-tax amount — which is the figure you need for an expense report or a bookkeeping entry.
Key Benefits
Works in both directions
Adds tax to a price and extracts it from a receipt total, which is what expense reports and bookkeeping actually require.
Combined local rates
Enter your full combined rate, since county and city taxes stack on top of the state rate in most places.
No-tax states included
Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon charge no state sales tax, and the preset list reflects that.
How to use Sales Tax Calculator
- 1
Choose whether you are adding tax to a price or removing it from a total.
- 2
Pick a state preset or enter your combined state, county and city rate.
- 3
Enter the amount — pre-tax if adding, the receipt total if removing.
- 4
Read off the pre-tax amount, the tax and the total.
Best use cases
Check a receipt total before leaving the store.
Split a bill's pre-tax amount from the tax for an expense claim.
Price an item so the after-tax total lands on a round number.
Compare the real cost of a purchase across two states.
How this tool compares
Sales Tax Calculator FAQs
How do I calculate sales tax backwards from a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the tax rate as a decimal. A $92.01 total at 8.25% becomes $92.01 ÷ 1.0825 = $85.00 pre-tax, and the tax is the $7.01 difference. Subtracting 8.25% from the total gives the wrong answer.
Which states have no sales tax?
Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no state sales tax. Alaska has no statewide tax but allows local jurisdictions to charge their own, so a local rate may still apply depending on where you are.
Why is my local rate different from the state rate?
Counties, cities and special districts add their own sales tax on top of the state rate. California's state rate is 7.25%, but combined rates in some cities exceed 10%. Always use the combined rate for the exact address where the sale takes place.
Is sales tax charged on everything?
No. Many states exempt or reduce tax on groceries, prescription medicine and clothing, and the rules vary considerably from state to state. This calculator applies whatever rate you enter, so use the correct rate for the category of goods you are buying.
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