Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a price, or start from a tax-inclusive total and work back to what the item cost before tax. The rate box accepts decimals, so a combined state, county and city rate such as 8.875% goes in exactly as printed. Because sales tax is set locally, the calculator does not assume a rate — you enter the one that applies where you are.
Sales tax rates vary by location. In the US the state sets a base rate and counties, cities and special districts often add to it, so the combined rate differs from one address to the next — use the rate that applies where the sale takes place. This is a calculation aid, not tax advice: it applies one rate to the whole amount and knows nothing about exemptions. Amounts work in any currency.
How to calculate sales tax
- Choose whether you're adding tax to a pre-tax price or removing it from a total that already includes tax.
- Enter the price and the sales tax rate for your location, decimals included.
- Read the tax amount and the total (or the pre-tax price) below — the result updates as you type.
When you'd use this
- Checking a shelf price — Seeing what a price tag will come to at the register once tax is added at checkout.
- Working back from a receipt — Finding the pre-tax price and the tax paid when a receipt only shows the total.
- Pricing for customers — Quoting a figure both with and without tax so a buyer in another location isn't caught out.
- Expense claims and bookkeeping — Separating the tax portion of a purchase when it has to be recorded on its own line.
Good to know
- Rates depend on where the sale happens — In the US the state sets a base rate and counties, cities and special districts often add to it, so two shops a few streets apart can charge different combined rates. Look up the rate for the specific address rather than the state alone.
- Removing tax is a division, not a subtraction — A total of 108.88 at 8.875% did not start life as 108.88 minus 8.875% — the tool divides by 1.08875 to get back to 100. Subtracting the percentage from the total gives an answer that is too low.
- Results are rounded to two decimal places — Tax is rounded to the nearest hundredth before it is added, the way it appears on a receipt, so the lines shown always add up. A retailer's own rounding rule — per item or per transaction — can still differ from this by a cent.
- It works in any currency — The arithmetic is a plain percentage, so it applies equally to VAT, GST or any other tax charged as a percentage of the price. Enter amounts in whatever currency you use; no symbol is assumed.
Frequently asked questions
Which sales tax rate should I use?
The combined rate for the place where the sale takes place — usually the store's location, or for shipped goods the delivery address. In the US that is the state rate plus any county, city and district rates, and your state's revenue department publishes the figures. The calculator doesn't look rates up, so you'll need to enter it yourself.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Pick the “Remove tax from a total” mode and enter the total. The tool divides by 1 plus the rate as a decimal — for 8.875% it divides by 1.08875 — and shows the pre-tax price alongside the tax that was included.
Why does the tool accept a rate like 8.875%?
Because combined US rates are often quoted to three decimal places once the state, county and city portions are stacked. Type the rate exactly as published; the box is not limited to whole numbers or two decimals.
Does this handle exemptions or reduced rates?
No. It applies one rate to the full amount. If some items in a purchase are tax-exempt or taxed at a different rate — groceries and clothing are common examples in some places — work those items out separately.
Is this only for US sales tax?
The wording is US-style, but the arithmetic is the same for any tax charged as a percentage of a price, including VAT and GST. Enter your local rate and your amounts in your own currency.