Skip to content
PT EN

Sales tax calculator

Calculate US sales tax and the total price from the amount and the tax rate.

$
%
Total price
$107.00
Sales tax$7.00
Pre-tax amount$100.00

Sales tax rates vary by US state and city — check your local rate.

How the calculation works

US sales tax is added at checkout, not included in the shelf price — so the total is always a bit more than advertised.

tax = amount × rate

total = amount + tax

Step-by-step example

A $50 purchase at an 8% rate:

  • Tax: 50 × 0.08 = $4
  • Total: 50 + 4 = $54

Finding the right rate

The total rate is the state plus local (city/county) rate for the purchase location. It varies widely — some states (like Oregon) have no sales tax.

Examples

  • $120 at 7%: tax $8.40, total $128.40.
  • To get the pre-tax price from a total: total ÷ (1 + rate).

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my tax rate?

Add your state and local (city/county) rates for your location.

Why doesn't the shelf price include tax?

US rates vary by state and city, so stores show pre-tax prices and add tax at checkout based on location.

How to back out tax from a tax-included price?

Divide the total by (1 + rate). A $108 total at 8% came from 108 ÷ 1.08 = $100.

Related calculators

Percentage

Calculate percentages every way: X% of Y, increase, discount and percentage change.

Discount

See the discounted price and your savings, including a discount on a discount. Example: 30% then 20% is not 50% — the real cut is 44%.

More Finance calculators

See all →

Compound interest

See how your money grows over time with monthly contributions and an evolution chart.

Simple interest

Calculate simple interest and the final amount from principal, rate and time.

Loan (SAC and Price)

Simulate the installments of a mortgage or car loan in the SAC and Price systems.

Profit margin

Calculate profit, profit margin and markup from cost and selling price.

CAGR (annual growth)

Calculate the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of an investment between two values.

ROI (return on investment)

Calculate the return on investment (ROI) and profit from the amount invested and the amount returned.

APY (effective rate)

Convert a nominal annual rate into the effective yield (APY) based on the compounding frequency.

Rule of 72

Find out how long an investment takes to double, triple or quadruple at a given interest rate.

Updated on June 18, 2026 · by Rafael Rossi · Methodology & sources