Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate the sales tax on any purchase instantly — find tax amount and total price, or work backwards from a total to find the pre-tax price. Includes US state tax rates.
The Sales Tax Calculator is a free online tool designed to help you calculate and analyze calculate sales tax and final price. Planning details accurately is crucial for making smart personal or financial decisions, and this calculator provides instant clarity with downloadable PDF reports.
This tool is built to benefit consumers, shoppers, and retailers wanting to calculate sales tax, total purchase prices, or back-calculate gross amounts. By entering local rates, you can check transaction totals instantly. By evaluating these key calculations, you can determine exactly how different inputs affect your results and align them with your direct planning requirements.
Before using this tool, make sure you have your details ready, such as your purchase price (before tax), sales tax percentage, and calculations toggle (add or remove tax). This ensures the most accurate calculations.
Select a state to auto-fill its base sales tax rate below.
How to Use the Sales Tax Calculator
- 1Use the Add Tax tab to calculate how much sales tax you will pay on a purchase. Enter the pre-tax price and your local tax rate. Use the state dropdown to instantly fill in your state base rate.
- 2Use the Remove Tax tab to find the pre-tax price of something you already bought. Enter the total price you paid and the tax rate — the calculator works backwards to find the original price.
- 3The US State Comparison table shows what the same purchase would cost in 8 different states — useful for understanding how much you save or spend based on where you shop.
- 4Download the free PDF for a complete record of your calculation including the state comparison table.
Example Calculation
Scenario: A shopper purchases furniture priced at $1,200 before sales tax in a city with an 8.25% sales tax rate.
- Input: Purchase Price = $1,200
- Input: Sales Tax Rate = 8.25%
- Input: Calculation Type = Add Sales Tax
Result: The sales tax amount is $99.00. The final purchase price, including sales tax, is $1,299.00.
Download the PDF report to save this sales tax breakdown. Back-calculating sales tax is useful for business owners separating taxable revenue from gross sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sales tax?
Sales tax is a consumption tax charged by state and local governments on the sale of goods and services. It is collected by the seller at the point of sale and passed on to the government.
How do I calculate sales tax manually?
To calculate sales tax, convert the tax percentage to a decimal by dividing by 100, then multiply by the purchase price. For example, tax on $100 at 8% is $100 x 0.08 = $8.00.
Are there states in the US that do not charge sales tax?
Yes. Five US states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon (often referred to as the NOMAD states).
What is the difference between origin-based and destination-based sales tax?
Origin-based states require sellers to charge sales tax based on the seller's location. Destination-based states require charging sales tax based on the buyer's delivery address.
How do I remove sales tax from a total price?
To remove sales tax and find the pre-tax price, divide the total price by 1 plus the tax rate as a decimal. For example, a total of $108 with 8% tax is $108 / 1.08 = $100.
Can I download my sales tax breakdowns?
Yes, you can generate a clean PDF report detailing your pre-tax price, tax amount, and final total, which is helpful for business expense logs.