Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a price, or reverse-calculate the price before tax from a tax-included total.
These are approximate base state rates only — actual combined rates with county/city/district taxes are often higher and change over time. Use this as a starting point, not a substitute for checking your exact local rate.
Sales tax rates vary by U.S. state, county, city, and country — enter your local rate rather than a rate you find elsewhere, since this tool doesn't assume or look up any specific rate for you unless you use the state quick-fill above.
How to Calculate Sales Tax
- Choose "Add Tax to a Price" if you have a pre-tax price, or "Find Price Before Tax" if you only know the total.
- Enter your price (or total) and your local tax rate as a percentage.
- Read the tax amount and the other price instantly — both update live as you type.
- If you have multiple stacked tax rates (state + city, for example), add them together first and enter the combined rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tax rate should I enter?
Enter your local sales tax rate — this varies by US state, county, city, and country, so this tool doesn't assume or pre-fill any specific rate. Check your receipt or your local tax authority's website if you're not sure what rate applies to you.
How does the reverse calculation work?
If you know the total price you paid including tax, enter it in the 'Total Price' field along with the tax rate, and the tool divides the total by (1 + tax rate ÷ 100) to back out the pre-tax price, then subtracts that from the total to show the tax amount.
Does this handle multiple tax rates stacked together, like state plus city tax?
Yes, as long as you combine them into a single rate first — add your state, county, and city rates together and enter the combined percentage in the Tax Rate field.
Why do my numbers update as I type instead of needing a button?
The calculator recalculates instantly on every keystroke so you can see how the tax amount and total change in real time as you adjust the price or rate.
Is my price or purchase information saved anywhere?
No — everything is calculated locally in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored.
How accurate is the state tax rate quick-fill?
The state dropdown fills in the base state-level sales tax rate only — it does not include county, city, or special district taxes, which can add several more percentage points depending on exactly where you are. Rates also change over time as states adjust them. Treat it as a fast starting point, not an authoritative or current figure, and check your local tax authority for the exact combined rate that applies to you.
How does Multiple Items mode calculate the total?
Each item's price is multiplied by its quantity and added together to get a subtotal, then the tax rate is applied once to that subtotal (not to each item separately) to get the tax amount, and the total is the subtotal plus that tax amount — matching how tax is actually applied on a real multi-item receipt.