Skip to main content
Simple Calculators

Sales Tax Calculator

Add tax to a price, back it out of a total, or find the rate — with verified 2026 rates for all 50 states

Sales Tax

State base + average local rate — your city's exact rate may differ

State Sales Tax Rates (as of July 1, 2026)

Related calculators

All finance

Quick summary

Add tax to a price (price × rate), back tax out of a total (total ÷ (1 + rate)), or find the rate from a receipt ((total − pre-tax) ÷ pre-tax). Example: $100 at 8.25% is $108.25. The built-in state list uses rates as of July 1, 2026: state base rates run from 0% (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon) to 7.25% (California), and state-plus-average-local rates are highest in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Washington.

Reviewed by Simple Calculators TeamLast reviewed

For planning only — not financial or tax advice. Results are estimates based on your inputs and the stated assumptions. Confirm important decisions with a qualified professional.

How to use this calculator

  1. Under What do you want to do?, choose Add tax to a price, Back out tax from a total, or Find the rate from a receipt.
  2. Enter the Pre-Tax Price ($) when adding tax, or the Total Paid ($) when backing tax out or finding the rate.
  3. Enter the Tax Rate (%), or use a state's combined average rate to fill it in; in find-rate mode, enter the Pre-Tax Amount on Receipt ($) instead.
  4. Check your local rate if you know it, since the state option uses the state rate plus the average local add-on, not your exact city rate.
  5. Read Total With Tax (or Effective Tax Rate in find-rate mode), plus the Pre-Tax, Sales Tax, and Total breakdown.

Sales Tax Formulas

Add Sales Tax to a Price

Tax=P×R100Total=P+Tax\text{Tax} = P \times \frac{R}{100} \qquad \text{Total} = P + \text{Tax}
P
Pre-tax price
R
Combined sales tax rate (%)

Worked example

A $100 purchase at an 8.25% combined rate

Given
P = $100
R = 8.25%
Calculation
Tax=100×0.0825=8.25Total=100+8.25\text{Tax} = 100 \times 0.0825 = 8.25 \qquad \text{Total} = 100 + 8.25
Result
Total = $108.25

Back Sales Tax Out of a Total (Reverse Sales Tax)

P=T1+R100Tax=T−PP = \frac{T}{1 + \frac{R}{100}} \qquad \text{Tax} = T - P
T
Total paid, including tax
R
Combined sales tax rate (%)
P
Pre-tax price

Worked example

A $108.25 receipt total at 8.25%

Given
T = $108.25
R = 8.25%
Calculation
P=108.251.0825P = \frac{108.25}{1.0825}
Result
P = $100.00 and Tax = $8.25

Find the Tax Rate from a Receipt

R=T−PP×100R = \frac{T - P}{P} \times 100
T
Total paid
P
Pre-tax amount on the receipt

Worked example

A receipt showing $50.00 before tax and $54.13 total

Given
T = $54.13
P = $50.00
Calculation
R=54.13−50.0050.00×100R = \frac{54.13 - 50.00}{50.00} \times 100
Result
R ≈ 8.26%

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate sales tax?

To calculate sales tax, multiply the price by the tax rate: a $100 purchase at 8.25% adds $8.25, for a total of $108.25. Your rate is the state base rate plus any city, county, and special district add-ons, so the correct rate depends on where the sale takes place. Use the rate printed on a local receipt when you have one.

How do I back sales tax out of a total?

To back sales tax out of a total, divide the total by 1 plus the rate rather than subtracting the percentage. A $108.25 total at 8.25% is $108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100 before tax. Subtracting 8.25% of the total instead gives $99.32, a common receipt-math error, because the tax was calculated on the pre-tax price, not on the total.

How do I find the sales tax rate from a receipt?

To find the sales tax rate from a receipt, subtract the pre-tax amount from the total, divide by the pre-tax amount, and multiply by 100. A receipt showing $50.00 before tax and $54.13 total has $4.13 of tax, which is about 8.26%. Rounding to the cent on the receipt can make the result differ slightly from the posted rate.

Which states have no sales tax?

Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska allows local sales taxes, which average about 1.82% in this calculator's 2026 data. The other four show no local sales tax in the data either, though they can still tax specific items such as lodging.

Which state has the highest sales tax?

California has the highest state base rate at 7.25%. When average local add-ons are included, the highest combined rates in this calculator's July 2026 data are Louisiana at about 10.13%, Tennessee at about 9.61%, and Washington at about 9.57%. Rates in individual cities can be higher or lower than these state averages.

Is everything taxed at the same rate?

No, not everything is taxed at the same rate. Many states exempt or reduce tax on groceries and prescription drugs, some exempt most clothing, and prepared food, lodging, or rental cars often carry higher special rates. The rates in this calculator are for general retail purchases, so check your state's rules for the specific item you are buying.

Do I pay sales tax on online purchases?

Usually yes, because most states require larger online sellers to collect sales tax based on where the item is delivered. If a seller does not collect it, many states expect buyers to report and pay use tax at the same rate. To estimate tax on an online order, use the rate for your delivery address rather than the seller's location.

Key terms

Combined Rate
State base rate plus local (city/county/district) add-ons — what you actually pay at the register.
Reverse Sales Tax
Extracting the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total: total ÷ (1 + rate).
Use Tax
The self-reported equivalent of sales tax owed on out-of-state purchases where the seller didn't collect it.
Nexus
The connection (physical or economic) that obligates a seller to collect a state's sales tax — why online orders are now taxed nearly everywhere.

Methodology, sources & limitations

This page shows the formula, assumptions, and limitations used for this estimate. Rates, thresholds, and other time-sensitive inputs can change, so verify them against the relevant official source before relying on a result.

For our review approach and the primary sources we consult, see the methodology and source policy. If you spot an outdated figure or formula, please contact us with a correction.