Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a price to find the total you'll pay.
Try an example
$107.25
About this calculator
What Is a Sales Tax Calculator?
A sales tax calculator adds sales tax to a price, or works backward from a total to find the price before tax. Give it the before-tax price and the tax rate and it computes the tax and the final price. It is handy for budgeting a purchase, checking a receipt, pricing products for a store, and estimating how much of a total is actually tax.
How Sales Tax Is Calculated
Sales tax = Price × (Tax rate ÷ 100), and Total = Price + Sales tax, which can also be written as Price × (1 + rate ÷ 100). To strip tax out of a total, reverse it: Price = Total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100). For example, a $64.80 total with an 8% tax rate means a pre-tax price of 64.80 ÷ 1.08 = $60.00, so $4.80 of the total is tax.
Worked Example
A $100 purchase at a 7.25% sales tax rate adds $7.25 in tax, for a total of $107.25.
How Sales Tax Works
Sales tax is a consumption tax collected by the seller at checkout and passed on to the government. In the United States there is no federal sales tax; states, counties and cities set their own, so the combined rate can differ from one side of a street to the other. Some states have none at all, and many exempt groceries, prescription drugs or clothing. Other countries use a value-added tax (VAT) instead, which is applied at each stage of production but is ultimately paid by the buyer — if that is what you need, see the VAT Calculator.
Things That Change the Rate You Pay
- Location — state, county and city rates are added together.
- Product category — essentials such as food are often taxed at a lower rate or not at all.
- Online purchases — most sellers now collect tax based on where the item is delivered.
- Tax holidays — some regions suspend sales tax on certain goods for a few days a year.
Using the Calculator for Business
If you run a shop, you can use the reverse calculation to separate tax from your tax-inclusive takings when you file returns, and to set a pre-tax price that lands on a clean sticker price after tax. Always confirm your local rate with your tax authority, because this tool trusts the rate you enter.
Worked example
A $100 purchase with a 7.25% sales tax rate adds $7.25 in tax, for a total of $107.25.
Frequently asked questions
How is sales tax calculated?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal): 100 × 0.0725 = $7.25.
Why do rates vary so much by location?
Sales tax in the US is set by state, county, and sometimes city governments and stacked together, so the combined rate can differ block to block.
Is sales tax applied before or after a discount?
Almost always after — the discount lowers the price first, then tax is calculated on that lower amount.
Does this include tax-exempt items?
No — this assumes the full price is taxable. Some categories (groceries, prescription drugs) are exempt or taxed differently depending on jurisdiction.
