US Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate sales tax for any US state. See combined state and local tax rates and compute pre-tax and post-tax amounts.

US Sales Tax Math:

Adding Sales Tax: Gross Amount = Pre-tax Amount × (1 + Combined Tax Rate).
Removing Sales Tax (Reverse Tax): Pre-tax Amount = Gross Amount / (1 + Combined Tax Rate).
Combined Rate: In the US, sales tax is composed of a State rate plus optional county, city, or local transit district rates.

Inline Ad Space

Navigating US Sales Tax

Unlike other countries with national sales taxes, the United States has no federal sales tax. Sales taxes are levied at the state, county, and municipal levels, resulting in thousands of unique local tax rates across the country.

How to Compute Sales Tax on a Purchase

To find the tax and final purchase price, complete these calculations:

Look Up Combined Rate: Add state, county, and local municipal sales tax rates (e.g., 6.25% + 1% + 1% = 8.25%).
Calculate Sales Tax: Multiply pre-tax price by the combined tax decimal (e.g., $100 * 0.0825 = $8.25).
Compute Final Price: Add the sales tax to the pre-tax price ($100 + $8.25 = $108.25).
Reverse Calculation: To extract pre-tax price from total, divide total by (1 + tax rate decimal) (e.g., $108.25 / 1.0825 = $100).

States with Highest & Lowest Sales Tax Rates

Parameter / Bracket	Rate / Amount
California State Sales Tax Rate	7.25% (Highest statewide base)
States with 0% Base Sales Tax	Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon
Average Combined Local Rate	5.00% to 10.00% in populated cities

Frequently Asked Questions about US Sales Tax

Why does my checkout total differ from the list price?

In the US, advertised prices exclude sales tax because rates vary by city and county. Tax is added at checkout based on the merchant location or delivery address.

Do states tax food and clothing items?

Many states exempt grocery food and prescription drugs from sales tax. Some states also exempt clothing below certain dollar thresholds, especially during tax-free holidays.