Enter a pre-tax price and your sales tax rate to calculate the tax amount and final after-tax price. You can also work backwards — enter the final price and tax rate to find the original pre-tax amount. The Sales Tax Calculator handles both directions so you always know exactly what you're paying.
Final After-Tax Price
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Sales Tax Amount
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Pre-Tax Price
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Effective Tax Rate
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Sales tax is a consumption tax levied by a government on the sale of goods and services. It is typically collected by the seller at the point of sale and then remitted to the government. In the United States, sales tax is applied at the state and local level — there is no federal sales tax.
To calculate the sales tax amount, multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal). For example, a $100 item with an 8% tax rate incurs $8.00 in tax, for a final price of $108.00. This calculator does that math for you automatically.
To find the pre-tax price when you only know the final price, divide the final price by (1 + tax rate). For example, a final price of $108 with an 8% tax rate gives a pre-tax price of $108 / 1.08 = $100. You can use our reverse calculator option for this.
Five US states currently have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. However, some local jurisdictions within Alaska do impose local sales taxes, so always check the specific locality.
Sales tax is collected only at the final point of sale to the consumer, while VAT (Value-Added Tax) is collected at each stage of the supply chain. In the US, sales tax is common; in most of Europe and many other countries, VAT is used instead. Both are ultimately paid by the end consumer.
Yes. In the United States, you may deduct either state and local income taxes OR state and local sales taxes on your federal return — but not both. This is useful for residents of states with no income tax. The IRS provides a Sales Tax Deduction Calculator to help estimate your deductible amount.
Exemptions vary by state, but common ones include groceries, prescription medications, and certain medical equipment. Some states exempt clothing below a certain value or agricultural supplies. Always check your specific state's rules to know what qualifies for exemption.
The average combined state and local sales tax rate in the US is approximately 7–8%, though rates vary widely. State rates range from 0% (in states with no sales tax) to about 7.25% in California, and local rates can add another 1–4% on top of the state rate.