Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate sales tax amount and total price for any purchase.

Price ($)

Tax Rate %

Results

Tax Amount

Total Price

Sales tax is a consumption tax added to the price of most goods and some services, and it varies wildly by country, region, and product type. The United States has no federal sales tax, but states, counties, and cities can each add their own, with combined rates ranging from 0 in states like Oregon and New Hampshire to over 10 percent in parts of Louisiana and Tennessee. The European Union uses VAT (value added tax) at national rates of 17 to 27 percent, generally included in the displayed price. Canada, Australia, and India run similar GST (goods and services tax) systems, typically 5 to 15 percent.

The basic math is short. Total price = net price × (1 + tax rate). To go the other way, net price = total price ÷ (1 + tax rate). A $50 item with 8 percent tax costs $54. A receipt that shows $108 total at 8 percent means the pre-tax price was exactly $100. The reverse calculation is the one most people skip, but it is the right one to use when the post-tax total is the only number on the receipt.

A few practical points come up often. The tax is usually applied to the selling price before any discount, then subtracted from the discounted total, or applied to the discounted total directly. The order matters in some jurisdictions and not in others, so a calculator is useful when the receipt looks off. Some items, like groceries, prescription drugs, or clothing under a price threshold, are exempt or taxed at a lower rate, and the calculator can show the impact of those exemptions by adjusting the rate.

For cross-border shopping, the same arithmetic applies with a different rate. A European seeing a $100 price tag in a U.S. store should mentally add the local U.S. sales tax, while an American buying online from a European retailer usually pays the VAT-inclusive price. The calculator below accepts either a net or gross price, plus the local tax rate, and returns the missing piece.

How to use

Pick a mode: add tax to a net price, or remove tax from a gross (post-tax) price.
Enter the price and the tax rate as a percentage. For U.S. purchases, use the combined state and local rate.
Click calculate to see the tax amount, the total price including tax, and, in reverse mode, the pre-tax base.
Re-run with a different rate to compare what the same purchase would cost across states, provinces, or countries.

Formula

Total = net × (1 + rate). Tax = net × rate. Net = total ÷ (1 + rate). Example: $80 at 7.25% tax = 80 × 1.0725 = $85.80 total, with $5.80 in tax. Reverse: a $107.25 receipt at 7.25% means a pre-tax price of $107.25 ÷ 1.0725 = $100.00.

Interpreting your results

The total is the headline figure for budgeting. The tax portion is what goes to the government and not to the seller. In reverse mode, the pre-tax base is the number to use when comparing two prices that quote tax differently, since a $100 tag in a tax-free state and a $107 tag in a 7 percent tax state are actually the same price.

Frequently asked questions

Is sales tax the same as VAT?

Conceptually similar, both are consumption taxes on the buyer, but they are collected differently. Sales tax is added by the seller at the final point of sale and remitted to the government. VAT is collected at each stage of production, with each business in the chain reclaiming the tax it paid on inputs. For the end consumer the visible price looks similar.

Why is the displayed price different online versus in store?

Many U.S. online retailers show pre-tax prices and add sales tax at checkout based on the shipping address, because of economic nexus laws that require them to collect tax in states where they have a presence. EU and most other countries require VAT-inclusive pricing, so the displayed price is the final price.

Are groceries and clothes taxed?

It depends entirely on the jurisdiction. Some U.S. states exempt most groceries from sales tax but tax clothing; others tax groceries but exempt clothing under a price threshold. Prescription drugs are usually exempt in both the U.S. and EU. Check the local rules for the specific category.

How do I find my local tax rate?

For U.S. addresses, the state department of revenue publishes current rates, and most post-checkout screens list the combined rate applied. For EU purchases, the VAT rate is usually on the invoice. The calculator works for any rate, so entering the exact figure is more important than guessing the average.