How to use the sales tax calculator
- Choose Add tax to a price when you know the shelf price, or Remove tax from a total when you have a receipt total that already includes tax.
- Type the amount in Price before tax (it becomes Total paid, tax included in remove mode).
- Pick your state under State (optional), then tap State rate or State + avg. local. If you know your exact local rate, type it into Sales tax rate (%).
- Read the tax and total in the result box. For a shopping list, tap Add several items and use Copy receipt to paste an itemized list anywhere.
How sales tax is calculated
Sales tax is the price times the rate: tax = price × (rate ÷ 100), and the total is the price plus the tax. Taking tax back out of a total works the other way: price before tax = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), and the tax is the difference. Results are rounded to the nearest cent, with half a cent rounding up. Some states publish tax bracket tables for registers, so a receipt can differ by a cent.
State rates come from the Tax Foundation's State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (rates in effect July 1, 2026). The average local rate is weighted by population, so your address may differ.
Worked example
The calculator opens with a $100.00 price at 8%. The tax is $100.00 × 0.08 = $8.00, so the total with tax is $108.00. Switch to Remove tax from a total and type 108.00, and you get $108.00 ÷ 1.08 = $100.00 before tax, with $8.00 of tax included. Choose Texas and State + avg. local, and the rate becomes 8.20%, so the same $100.00 item costs $108.20.
Limits and edge cases
- Local rates vary by city, county and special district. For an exact rate, look up the address on your state revenue department's site and type it in.
- Not every item is taxed at the full rate. Many states exempt groceries and prescription drugs or tax them at a lower rate, and some, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Minnesota, exempt most clothing. The calculator applies one rate to everything you enter.
- Several items mode taxes the subtotal once. A store that taxes each line separately can differ by a cent or two.
- If an item is on sale, apply the discount first with the discount calculator, then add tax. Sellers can check what they keep with the profit margin calculator or print a sale with the receipt generator.
2026 sales tax rates by state
Rates in effect July 1, 2026. California, Utah and Virginia include a statewide local add-on in the state rate. Louisiana rose from 4.45% to 5% on January 1, 2025. DC is set to rise to 7% on October 1, 2027.
| State | State rate | Avg. local | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4.00% | 5.46% | 9.46% |
| Alaska | 0.00% | 1.82% | 1.82% |
| Arizona | 5.60% | 2.94% | 8.54% |
| Arkansas | 6.50% | 2.98% | 9.48% |
| California | 7.25% | 1.78% | 9.03% |
| Colorado | 2.90% | 4.99% | 7.89% |
| Connecticut | 6.35% | 0.00% | 6.35% |
| Delaware | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| District of Columbia | 6.00% | 0.00% | 6.00% |
| Florida | 6.00% | 0.98% | 6.98% |
| Georgia | 4.00% | 3.56% | 7.56% |
| Hawaii | 4.00% | 0.50% | 4.50% |
| Idaho | 6.00% | 0.03% | 6.03% |
| Illinois | 6.25% | 2.73% | 8.98% |
| Indiana | 7.00% | 0.00% | 7.00% |
| Iowa | 6.00% | 0.94% | 6.94% |
| Kansas | 6.50% | 2.21% | 8.71% |
| Kentucky | 6.00% | 0.00% | 6.00% |
| Louisiana | 5.00% | 5.13% | 10.13% |
| Maine | 5.50% | 0.00% | 5.50% |
| Maryland | 6.00% | 0.00% | 6.00% |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | 0.00% | 6.25% |
| Michigan | 6.00% | 0.00% | 6.00% |
| Minnesota | 6.875% | 1.26% | 8.14% |
| Mississippi | 7.00% | 0.06% | 7.06% |
| Missouri | 4.225% | 4.22% | 8.44% |
| Montana | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Nebraska | 5.50% | 1.48% | 6.98% |
| Nevada | 6.85% | 1.39% | 8.24% |
| New Hampshire | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| New Jersey | 6.625% | -0.02% | 6.60% |
| New Mexico | 4.875% | 2.80% | 7.68% |
| New York | 4.00% | 4.54% | 8.54% |
| North Carolina | 4.75% | 2.35% | 7.10% |
| North Dakota | 5.00% | 2.09% | 7.09% |
| Ohio | 5.75% | 1.54% | 7.29% |
| Oklahoma | 4.50% | 4.56% | 9.06% |
| Oregon | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Pennsylvania | 6.00% | 0.34% | 6.34% |
| Rhode Island | 7.00% | 0.00% | 7.00% |
| South Carolina | 6.00% | 1.49% | 7.49% |
| South Dakota | 4.20% | 1.91% | 6.11% |
| Tennessee | 7.00% | 2.61% | 9.61% |
| Texas | 6.25% | 1.95% | 8.20% |
| Utah | 6.10% | 1.32% | 7.42% |
| Vermont | 6.00% | 0.43% | 6.43% |
| Virginia | 5.30% | 0.47% | 5.77% |
| Washington | 6.50% | 3.07% | 9.57% |
| West Virginia | 6.00% | 0.60% | 6.60% |
| Wisconsin | 5.00% | 0.72% | 5.72% |
| Wyoming | 4.00% | 1.39% | 5.39% |
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax on a price?
Multiply the price by the tax rate written as a decimal, then add the result to the price. At 8%, a $50.00 item has $50.00 × 0.08 = $4.00 of tax, so you pay $54.00.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. If you paid $54.00 at 8%, the price before tax was $54.00 ÷ 1.08 = $50.00 and the tax was $4.00.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax. Alaska lets boroughs and cities charge their own, averaging 1.82% in 2026.
Which state has the highest sales tax?
California has the highest state rate, 7.25%. With local taxes added, Louisiana has the highest average combined rate, 10.13%, then Tennessee (9.61%) and Washington (9.57%).
What is use tax?
If you buy something taxable from a seller that did not charge your state's sales tax, you usually owe use tax at the same rate, reported on your state tax return.
Sources: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (rates as of July 1, 2026); DC Office of Tax and Revenue (rate increase postponed to October 1, 2027). Rates change, so confirm yours with your state revenue department.