Sales Tax Calculator
This sales tax calculator adds your state and local rate to a price, or takes the tax back out of a total. Example: $100.00 at 6% state plus 1.5% local tax is $7.50 tax and $107.50 in total.
Example: Calculation: Add tax to a price · Amount 100 $ · State sales tax rate 6 % · Local rate (county, city, district) 1.5 % → Result: Total = $107.50 ($100.00 + $7.50 sales tax at 7.5%). Source: USA.gov – State and local taxes (sales tax is set by states and local governments; there is no federal sales tax). Updated: .
How it is calculated
Sales tax in the United States is charged as a percentage of the price at the till and is not included in the shelf price. There is no federal sales tax: each state sets its own rate, and counties, cities and special districts may add their own on top. The rate you pay is the sum of all of them at the place of sale or delivery.
Formulas
Combined rate = state rate + local rate. Tax = price × combined rate. Total = price × (1 + combined rate). Working backwards from a total: price before tax = total ÷ (1 + combined rate), and the tax is the difference. A common mistake is to subtract the percentage from the total – that gives too low a price, because the rate applies to the price before tax, not to the total.
Worked examples
A $100.00 purchase at 6% state and 1.5% local tax: combined rate 7.5%, tax $7.50 ($6.00 state and $1.50 local), total $107.50. In reverse, a receipt total of $107.50 at 7.5% is $107.50 ÷ 1.075 = $100.00 before tax. An item priced $49.99 at 6.25% plus 2% costs $4.12 tax and $54.11 in total. A $50.00 total at 8% contains $3.70 tax on a price of $46.30.
Good to know
- Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Local taxes can still apply in Alaska.
- Online orders are usually taxed at the rate of the delivery address.
- If you itemise deductions on your federal return, state and local sales taxes can be deductible instead of state income tax.
- For business filings use the rate and rounding rules of your state’s revenue department.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the rate: $100.00 × 7.5% = $7.50. Add it to the price for the total, $107.50.
How do I take sales tax out of a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal: $107.50 ÷ 1.075 = $100.00. The tax is the rest, $7.50.
How do state and local rates combine?
They are added together and both apply to the price before tax. 6.25% state plus 2% local is 8.25%; on $49.99 that is $4.12.
Why is there no list of state rates here?
Because the rate depends on the exact address and changes during the year. A stale table would give wrong totals, so you enter the current rate yourself.
Is sales tax the same as VAT?
No. Sales tax is charged once, on the final sale to the customer, and is added at the till. VAT is collected at every stage of production and is normally already included in the displayed price.
Sources and legal basis
- USA.gov – State and local taxes (sales tax is set by states and local governments; there is no federal sales tax)
- Topic 503: IRS Topic no. 503 – Deductible taxes (state and local general sales taxes)
As of: · Editorial policy
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