A Free Calculator · Two Modes · No Hidden Assumptions · Updated 2026
Add tax to a price — or pull tax out of a total
Sales tax arithmetic is two operations: multiply a price by a rate to get the tax amount,
or divide a tax-inclusive total by one plus the rate to recover the pre-tax price. This
tool does both, labels the math, and shows you exactly what it computed.
Forward & reverse tax modes·Live calculation as you type·Full formulas shown
Arithmetic only — not tax advice
This calculator does the math of applying or removing a percentage. It does not determine
whether a particular item is taxable, look up rates for a location, or account for
exemptions. Tax rates vary by state, county, and city — use the rate from your receipt
or verify with your local tax authority. The reference table on this page lists
approximate combined rates and is clearly labeled as such.
Choose a mode: add tax to a pre-tax price, or extract the tax that's already baked into a total. Enter the amount and your tax rate — results update as you type.
Mode & inputs
Add tax: you have a pre-tax price and want the total. Extract tax: you have a tax-inclusive total and want the pre-tax price.
$
The price before tax is added.
%
Combined state + local rate. Fractional rates like 8.875 are accepted.
Check your receipt or verify with Tax Foundation data.
Tax amount:
Tax amount
Total with tax
The formulas, in full
Both modes are exact inverses of each other. Here is every step the calculator runs —
the same arithmetic you could check on a phone's calculator or on paper.
Forward: $100.00 × 1.07 = $107.00
Reverse: $107.00 ÷ 1.07 = $100.00 ✓
The only rounding occurs at display time (two decimal places).
Full floating-point precision is used for all intermediate steps.
Approximate combined sales-tax rates — selected states
The table below lists example combined rates (state + typical local) for reference only.
Rates vary within each state by city and county — always verify the exact rate for your
location before relying on it. This is not a tax lookup tool; it is a starting-point
reference to help you choose a plausible rate for the calculator above.
State
State rate
Typical combined (approx.)
Notes — check your local rate
Oregon, Montana, Delaware, New Hampshire
0%
~0%
No general sales tax. Some local resort taxes may apply in Montana.
Colorado
2.9%
~7–10%
State rate is among the lowest; local additions vary widely — Denver area combined can approach 9%.
Virginia
4.3%
~5.3–6%
Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads regions carry a higher combined rate than the rest of the state.
Florida
6%
~7–8%
Counties add a discretionary surtax of 0–1.5%. Most counties land near 7–7.5%.
Texas
6.25%
~8.2%
Cities and counties can add up to 2%. Most major Texas cities are near 8.25%.
Illinois
6.25%
~8–10%
Chicago combined rate exceeds 10% with city/county additions. Lower in rural areas.
New York
4%
~8–8.875%
New York City combined rate is 8.875%. Upstate rates vary. Groceries and clothing often exempt.
California
7.25%
~8.5–10.75%
Highest state base rate in the country. LA County near 10.25%; some cities higher. Groceries generally exempt.
Rates are approximate and sourced from Tax Foundation 2024 data. Combined rates include
the state rate plus a typical (not maximum) local addition and vary by city, county, and
taxing district. Always check your exact local rate — use the official state revenue
department website or your point-of-sale system. This table is for orientation, not for
filing.
Why the same item can have a different tax rate across town
Sales tax in the United States is not a single number. It is a stack of rates from different
government layers, each of which can change independently.
The combined rate is state + county + city + special districts
What you see on a receipt is the sum of the state rate and all applicable local additions. In California, the minimum combined rate is 7.25% (state only), but Los Angeles County is 10.25%, and some cities in the county are higher. Two stores three miles apart in different taxing jurisdictions can legitimately charge different rates on the same item.
What is taxed also varies by state
Most states exempt unprepared groceries and prescription drugs from sales tax, but the definitions differ. Some states exempt clothing below a price threshold; some tax digital downloads; some tax services. This calculator applies a rate to any dollar amount you enter — it has no concept of what the item is. Whether a given purchase is taxable in your state is a legal determination, not a math problem.
Receipts usually show the combined rate, not the breakdown
If your receipt shows a single line like "Tax (8.25%): $8.25" on a $100 purchase, that 8.25% is already the combined state + local rate. That is the number to enter here. If it shows separate state and local lines, add them before entering. Either way, the arithmetic is the same: total tax as a percent of the pre-tax price.
How to get the right answer
The math is simple; the only place people go wrong is using the wrong rate or the wrong
mode. Here is how to avoid both.
Know which direction you're going
If you have a price tag (pre-tax) and want to know what you'll pay at checkout, use "Add tax to a price." If you have a tax-inclusive total — a receipt amount, a quoted price that includes tax — and want to know the pre-tax portion, use "Extract tax from a total."
Use the combined rate, not just the state rate
The state rate is rarely what you actually pay. Your receipt shows the combined rate. If you're estimating before a purchase, find the combined rate for the specific city and county — Tax Foundation and your state's revenue department both publish these. For most major US cities, expect 7–10%.
Fractional rates are fine — type the full decimal
Many combined rates are not round numbers: 8.875% (New York City), 9.5%, 10.25%. Type the full decimal in the rate field. The calculator uses full floating-point precision internally and rounds only the displayed cents.
Verify the reverse-mode answer with a forward check
After extracting tax from a total, confirm by multiplying your resulting pre-tax price by (1 + rate/100). You should get back your original total (within a rounding cent). If not, recheck that the total you entered is truly tax-inclusive and that you used the same rate.
Where to buy
Got your numbers? Here's where to pick up what you need:
The terms that appear on receipts, tax forms, and price tags — in plain English.
Sales tax
A percentage of a purchase price collected by a seller on behalf of a government. In the United States, sales taxes are set and collected at the state and local level — there is no federal sales tax. The rate varies by state, county, and city, and by the type of good or service being purchased.
Pre-tax price
The price of an item before sales tax is applied. This is what a price tag in a US store usually shows — tax is calculated separately at the register. The "Add tax" mode in the calculator above starts from this figure.
Tax-inclusive price
A price that already includes the sales tax. Common in receipts, online checkouts that show the final charge, and most countries that use VAT. The "Extract tax" mode works backward from this figure to find the pre-tax price.
Combined rate
The total sales tax rate applied at a point of sale — the sum of the state rate plus all county, city, and special-district additions. This is the number on your receipt and the correct number to enter in the calculator.
VAT (value-added tax)
A consumption tax used in most countries outside the United States. Unlike US sales tax (which is added at the final sale), VAT is collected at each stage of production and is almost always included in the shelf price the consumer sees. The reverse-tax formula applies equally to VAT-inclusive prices.
Reverse sales tax
The calculation of extracting the pre-tax price and tax amount from a tax-inclusive total. Formula: pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate/100). This is useful for expense reports, accounting reconciliation, and checking receipts.
Tax exemption
Certain goods and transactions that are not subject to sales tax under state law. Common exemptions include unprepared groceries, prescription drugs, and (in some states) clothing below a price threshold. This calculator applies a rate to any amount entered — it does not model exemptions.
Nexus
A seller's legal obligation to collect sales tax in a state, triggered by a sufficient physical or economic presence there. Relevant for businesses and online sellers, not for the buyer-side arithmetic this calculator performs.
Frequently asked
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal: tax = price × (rate ÷ 100). Then add to get the total: total = price + tax. A $100 item at 7%: tax = $100 × 0.07 = $7.00, total = $107.00. Use the "Add tax to a price" mode above — it updates as you type.
Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + rate ÷ 100): pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate/100). Subtract to isolate the tax: tax = total − pre-tax. A $107.00 receipt at 7%: pre-tax = $107 ÷ 1.07 = $100.00, tax = $7.00. Use the "Extract tax from a total" mode above.
Use the combined rate — state + county + city. Your receipt shows it. If you're estimating before a purchase, look up your city's combined rate via your state's revenue department or the Tax Foundation. The reference table on this page lists approximate rates for several states as a starting point.
No — what is taxed varies by state. Most states exempt unprepared groceries and prescription drugs; some exempt clothing under a threshold; digital goods and services are taxed inconsistently. This calculator does the arithmetic of applying a rate to any amount you enter — it has no knowledge of whether a specific item is taxable. For that, consult your state revenue department.
US sales taxes are layered. The state sets a base rate (e.g., California's is 7.25%). Counties and cities add their own increments on top. What you pay at checkout is the combined total of all layers. Two stores in different cities — even close together — can charge different combined rates on the same item. Enter the full combined rate, not just the state portion.
It does — and this is a useful self-check. Forward: $100 × 0.10 = $10 tax, total = $110.00. Reverse: $110 ÷ 1.10 = $100.00 pre-tax, tax = $10.00. If your numbers don't close, check that you used the same rate in both directions and that the total you entered is genuinely tax-inclusive (not a price with tax shown as a separate additional line).
Both are consumption taxes applied as a percentage, but they're collected differently. US sales tax is added at the final sale and shown separately on the receipt. VAT (used in most of Europe and many other countries) is collected at each production stage and is almost always included in the displayed shelf price. The reverse-tax formula — total ÷ (1 + rate) — works identically for VAT-inclusive prices; just use the VAT rate.
Yes. Type any decimal in the rate field — 8.875 for New York City's combined rate, for instance. The calculation uses full floating-point precision internally: tax = amount × (8.875 ÷ 100) = amount × 0.08875. Only the displayed result is rounded to two decimal places (cents), which matches how retail receipts work.
Common mistakes
Sales tax errors usually stem from applying the wrong rate or applying it at the wrong stage of a calculation.
Using a stale or rounded tax rate
Sales tax rates change when legislation passes or local levies are added. Using last year's rate or a rounded approximation ("about 6%") introduces error that compounds on large purchases. The correct rate is the combined state + county + city rate in effect at the point of sale. For a $2,000 purchase, one percentage point of rate error equals $20.
Applying tax to items that are exempt in your state
Many states exempt groceries, prescription drugs, or clothing from sales tax — but the definition of each category varies. In some states a ready-to-eat hot meal is taxable while cold prepared food is not. In others, clothing under a certain price is exempt. Applying a blanket rate to every line item on a receipt overestimates the actual tax owed on a mixed basket of goods.
Calculating tax on the pre-discount price when a coupon reduces the taxable amount
Manufacturer coupons and store discounts reduce the selling price before tax is applied in most states — tax is assessed on the amount the customer actually pays. Calculating tax on the original sticker price and then subtracting a coupon understates the discount's effect. The formula is: taxable amount = (original price − discount), then apply the tax rate to that reduced amount.
Reverse-calculating the pre-tax price by subtracting the rate instead of dividing
If a total is $107 and the tax rate is 7%, the pre-tax price is not $107 − $7 = $100. The correct method is pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate) = $107 ÷ 1.07 = $99.91. Subtracting the percentage directly treats the rate as if it was applied to the post-tax total, which it was not.