The Sales Tax Calculator can compute any one of the following, given inputs for the remaining two: before-tax price, sales tax rate, and after-tax price.
Our Sales Tax Calculator computes exact retail sales tax amounts, total price including tax, or pre-tax price when working backward from a gross total. Sales tax is an indirect consumption tax levied by state, county, and local municipal governments on retail sales of goods and selected services.
Calculating Sales Tax Amount: Sales Tax ($) = Net Price ($) × (Tax Rate % / 100)
Calculating Total Price: Total Price ($) = Net Price ($) × (1 + Tax Rate % / 100)
Reverse Sales Tax (Finding Pre-Tax Price): Pre-Tax Price ($) = Total Price ($) / (1 + Tax Rate % / 100)
Forward Example: Purchasing an item priced at $250.00 in a city with 8.25% combined sales tax:
Reverse Example: You paid $108.00 total for a meal with an 8% tax rate included. What was the food cost before tax?
In the United States, five states currently have no state sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. In other states, total sales tax combines statewide base tax with municipal, county, and transit authority surcharges.
Q: What is the difference between Sales Tax and Value-Added Tax (VAT)?
A: Sales tax is collected only once at the final point of retail sale to the consumer. VAT is collected at every stage of the supply chain based on value added to the product.
Q: How do I calculate tax-exempt purchases?
A: Items like grocery food staples, prescription medicines, and wholesale goods for resale are often tax-exempt depending on state legislation.