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Sales Tax Calculator
Enter a price and a tax rate and choose whether the price is before tax or already includes it — the tax amount, pre-tax price, and total update instantly. Rates vary by state, county, and city, so check your local rate.
Estimate only: the rate you enter is taken as given. Real tax rules vary by jurisdiction and some items (groceries, clothing in some states) are exempt or taxed at a different rate.
How it works
Adding tax: tax = pre-tax price × (rate ÷ 100) and total = pre-tax price + tax. Stripping tax out of a tax-inclusive price is the reverse division, not a subtraction of the percentage: pre-tax price = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), and tax = total − pre-tax price. Worked example (add): a $100 item at New York City’s 8.875% combined rate → tax = 100 × 0.08875 = $8.88 (rounded); total = $108.88. Worked example (strip): a $108.88 receipt at the same rate → pre-tax = 108.88 ÷ 1.08875 = $100.00; tax = $8.88. Note the asymmetry: subtracting 8.875% of $108.88 ($9.66) would wrongly give $99.22 — always divide, never subtract the percentage, when removing tax.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my local sales tax rate?
State rates are only part of it — counties and cities add their own. Your state tax authority’s lookup (by address or ZIP) gives the combined rate for a purchase location.
Why can’t I just subtract the percentage to remove tax?
Because the percentage was applied to the smaller pre-tax price, not to the total. Removing tax requires dividing by (1 + rate), as shown in the worked example above.
Are all goods taxed at the same rate?
No. Many states exempt groceries or prescription drugs, tax clothing differently, or apply special rates to prepared food, alcohol, or lodging. This calculator applies one rate to the whole price.
What about online purchases?
Most states now require sellers to collect tax based on the buyer’s delivery address (the destination rate), so the same item can carry a different rate depending on where it ships.