Calculate the total sales tax on any purchase by entering your purchase amount, state sales tax rate, and local sales tax rate. You get back the state tax amount, local tax amount, combined tax total, and final price after tax — broken down so you can see exactly what you owe at each level.
Total Price (After Tax)
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Combined Tax Rate
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Total Tax Amount
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State Tax Amount
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Local Tax Amount
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A sales tax is a consumption tax imposed by state and local governments on the sale of goods and services. It is typically calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and collected by the merchant at the point of sale, who then remits it to the appropriate government authority.
As of 2025, five states do not impose a state-level sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. However, note that Alaska allows local governments to levy their own sales taxes, so purchases there may still carry a local rate.
A local sales tax is an additional tax levied by a county, city, or other local jurisdiction on top of the state sales tax. While the state sets a uniform rate across the entire state, local rates vary by municipality. Your combined tax rate is the sum of both the state and local rates.
No. Many essential items are exempt from sales tax in most states, including prescription drugs, certain over-the-counter medications, groceries, baby products, and clothing (in some states). The exact list of exempt items varies by state and sometimes by locality.
You can find your local sales tax rate by checking your state's department of revenue website, looking at a recent receipt from a local purchase, or using a ZIP-code-based tax lookup tool. Local rates vary widely — even within the same county — so it's worth verifying for your exact address.
Some jurisdictions in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas have combined state and local sales tax rates exceeding 11–12%. Tennessee's state rate is 7%, and certain counties push the combined rate to around 9.75%. Always check local rates, as they can significantly raise your total tax burden.
Local option sales taxes are often earmarked for specific purposes such as capital projects — public buildings, libraries, parks, roads, and infrastructure improvements. The allowable uses are typically defined by state law and the specific ballot measure or ordinance that authorized the tax.
When both state and local taxes are applied to the same pre-tax purchase price (which is the standard approach), the order does not matter — the combined rate is simply added together and applied to the purchase amount. This calculator uses that standard method.