Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate how much sales tax you pay, your after-tax total, or the pre-tax price from any total.

US State Sales Tax Rates (2024)

StateState RateAvg Total
California7.25%8.85%
Texas6.25%8.19%
New York4.00%8.52%
Florida6.00%7.02%
Washington6.50%9.38%
Oregon / Montana / NH / DE0%0%

Adding and Removing Sales Tax

To add sales tax, multiply the price by (1 + rate): a $50 item at 8% costs 50 × 1.08 = $54. To find the tax-free price from a tax-inclusive total (removing tax), divide instead: $54 ÷ 1.08 = $50. Mixing these up is the most common mistake — you cannot simply subtract 8% from a tax-inclusive total, because that 8% was applied to the smaller pre-tax figure.

How US Sales Tax Works

Unlike VAT, US sales tax is added at the register, not included in the shelf price, and the rate is set by state and often county or city. Combined rates range from 0% in a few states to over 10% in some cities, so always confirm the exact local rate for accurate totals.

Sales Tax vs VAT

Sales tax is charged once, at the final sale. VAT is collected in stages along the supply chain and is usually already included in the displayed price. Shopping in Europe? Use the VAT calculator instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal). Example: $50 item at 8% tax = $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax, total = $54.
The average combined state and local sales tax rate is about 7.12%. Rates range from 0% (Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, Alaska) to over 10% in some localities.
Divide the total by (1 + tax rate). Example: $108 total at 8% tax → $108 / 1.08 = $100 pre-tax price.