Sales tax calculator.
Add sales tax to a price or work backwards to take it out of a total. Enter an amount and your tax rate to see the tax and the final price, down to the cent.
Work out the tax
LiveAdding tax? Enter the price before tax. Removing tax? Enter the before-tax amount that produced your total, or use the reverse formula in the guide below.
Total with tax
$107.00
at 7% sales tax
Rates vary by state and city; enter your own combined rate. Estimate for planning, not tax advice. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is stored.
How it works
How the tax is worked out
Sales tax is a percentage added to the price of what you buy. Multiply the amount before tax by the rate to get the tax, then add it back on for the total. The dark part of the bar is your net price; the green part is the tax on top.
A $100 item at a 7% rate carries $7.00 of tax, for a total of $107.00. Change either box and the tax and total update instantly.
Good to know
Sales tax, in three lines.
Use your combined rate
The rate you pay is usually the state rate plus a city or county rate, so it is often higher than the state figure alone.
Five states charge none
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax, though some Alaska and Montana localities still add one.
Back the tax out
Have a total that already includes tax? Divide it by one plus the rate to recover the original pre-tax price.
The full guide
The complete sales tax guide.
How to add it, how to remove it, why your rate is what it is, and where there is no sales tax at all.
How sales tax is calculated
Sales tax is a percentage of the sale price. To add it, multiply the amount before tax by the rate written as a decimal, so 7% is 0.07. That gives the tax; add it to the price for the total. A $50 item at 8% is $50 times 0.08, which is $4.00 of tax, for a $54.00 total.
The calculator does this to the cent and shows the split, so you can see exactly how much of the final price is tax.
State and local rates combine
The rate you actually pay is usually made of layers: a statewide rate, plus a county or city rate, and sometimes a special district rate. Added together this is your combined rate, and it is what you should enter. It is why two towns in the same state can charge different amounts, and why the rate at the register is often higher than the state figure you read about.
If you are not sure of your combined rate, your state revenue website or the receipt from a recent local purchase will show it.
How to remove sales tax from a total
Sometimes you have a total that already includes tax and want the original price, for example to claim an expense. Do not subtract the rate from the total; that overshoots. Instead divide the total by one plus the rate as a decimal. A $107.00 total at 7% is 107 divided by 1.07, which is $100.00 before tax, leaving $7.00 of tax.
This reverse step is handy for bookkeeping, expense reports and working out a pre-tax budget from a tax-inclusive price.
States with no sales tax
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon, often remembered by the initials NOMAD. In those states the sticker price is usually the price you pay. The exceptions are Alaska and Montana, where some cities and resort towns levy a local sales tax even though the state does not.
Everywhere else, expect a combined state-and-local rate, which in some cities runs well above the headline state rate.
What is and is not taxable
What gets taxed depends on the state. Many states exempt or reduce tax on essentials like groceries and prescription medicine, while taxing most other goods. Services, digital products and clothing are treated differently from place to place, so the same purchase can be taxable in one state and exempt in another.
If a purchase looks like it should be taxed but is not, an exemption is usually the reason. For anything important, check your state revenue department’s rules.
The formula
Add it, or
take it out.
Adding tax is one multiplication. Removing it is one division. Both are below, with the worked example from the top of the page.
More finance tools ›# Add tax
tax = price × rate
total = price + tax
# Remove tax (reverse)
price = total / (1 + rate)
# worked example
$100 at 7% → $7.00 tax, $107.00 totalQuestions
Sales tax questions.
How do I calculate sales tax?
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Multiply the amount before tax by the rate as a decimal. For 7%, multiply by 0.07. That gives the tax, which you add to the price for the total. A $100 item at 7% has $7.00 of tax and a $107.00 total.
How do I remove sales tax from a total?
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Divide the tax-inclusive total by one plus the rate as a decimal. A $107.00 total at 7% is 107 divided by 1.07, which is $100.00 before tax, leaving $7.00 of tax. Do not just subtract the rate, as that overshoots.
Which states have no sales tax?
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Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Alaska and Montana still allow some local sales taxes, so a few towns there charge one.
Why is my rate higher than my state’s rate?
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Because the rate you pay usually combines a state rate with county, city and sometimes special-district rates. Enter that combined rate for an accurate total.
Is this sales tax calculator free and private?
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Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta, with a focus on tools that are fast, free and show their working. The sales tax calculator uses the standard add and reverse formulas and is provided for everyday use and education, not as tax advice.