Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate tax on a price, or find the pre-tax price from a total.

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This calculator works in both directions: add tax to a pre-tax price to get your total, or reverse-calculate the pre-tax price from a total. The math is the same for any percentage-based tax - US sales tax, VAT, GST, hotel tax - only the rate changes. The reverse direction is the one most people get wrong: you don't subtract the percentage from the total, you divide.

Add tax to a price
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Tax amount
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Total price
Find pre-tax price from total
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Pre-tax price
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Tax amount
How sales tax math works

Forward (price + rate → total): Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal, add it to the price.

total = price × (1 + rate/100)

$80 at 7% tax: 80 × 1.07 = $85.60. The tax itself is 80 × 0.07 = $5.60.

Reverse (total + rate → pre-tax price): Divide the total by (1 + rate/100).

price = total / (1 + rate/100)

$108.50 total at 8.5% tax: 108.50 / 1.085 = $100.00. The tax was $8.50.

The classic mistake: subtracting the tax rate from the total to find the pre-tax price. On a $108 total at 8% tax, this gives 108 − (108 × 0.08) = $99.36 - wrong. The correct pre-tax price is 108 / 1.08 = $100.00. The reason: the 8% in the receipt was applied to $100, not to $108, so subtracting 8% of $108 over-corrects.

US sales tax rates and what's taxed

US sales tax is set at the state level, often with additional county and city taxes layered on. Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon (some Alaskan cities do levy local tax). The highest combined state and local rates are in Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Washington - exceeding 9.5% in many cities.

What's taxed varies dramatically by state. Most states tax tangible goods but exempt groceries (or tax them at a lower rate); some tax all groceries the same as other goods. Clothing is exempt or partially exempt in several Northeastern states. Services and digital products are increasingly being added to the tax base. When in doubt, the receipt itself is the most reliable source.

VAT and GST work the same way mathematically but are typically already included in displayed prices outside the US. A €100 price in Germany is what you actually pay; the 19% VAT is built in. The reverse calculator is useful for extracting the pre-VAT price from receipts when filing expenses.

Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate divided by 100. For example, $50 at 8% tax: $50 × 0.08 = $4 tax, $54 total.
How do I find the pre-tax price from a total?
Divide the total by (1 + tax rate / 100). For example, a $54 total at 8% tax: $54 ÷ 1.08 = $50 pre-tax price. Don't subtract 8% from the total - that gives the wrong answer.
What is the sales tax rate in the US?
It varies by state and city. State rates range from 0% (Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, Alaska) to 7.25% (California base). Combined with local taxes, some cities exceed 10%. Use your local combined rate in the calculator.
How do I calculate VAT?
VAT works mathematically the same as sales tax. Enter your price and VAT rate to get the VAT amount and total. Most countries that use VAT include it in displayed prices, so the reverse calculator (total → pre-VAT price) is what you'll usually want.
What is the tax on a $100 purchase at 8.5%?
$100 at 8.5% sales tax = $8.50 in tax, $108.50 total.
Why does the reverse calculation use division instead of subtraction?
Because the tax was originally calculated as a percentage of the smaller (pre-tax) number, not of the total. To undo it, you have to divide by (1 + rate). Subtracting the rate from the total over-corrects and gives you a smaller price than the true pre-tax amount.
Are groceries and clothing taxed?
Depends on the state. Many US states exempt groceries or tax them at a reduced rate; some tax them fully. Clothing is exempt in a few Northeastern states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts to varying degrees). The receipt is always definitive.
Are tax-included prices common outside the US?
Yes. Most of Europe, the UK, Australia, Japan, and many other countries display prices that already include VAT/GST. The price you see is the price you pay. The US is unusual in showing pre-tax prices and adding tax at the register.

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