Add sales tax, or work it out of a total
Enter an amount and a tax rate to get the tax and the total, or tick the box to work backwards from a price that already includes tax. Choose a US state to fill in its statewide rate, then add your city or county rate for the full total. The same calculator handles VAT and GST.
The two calculations
- Adding tax: total = price × (1 + rate). A 100 dollar item at 7.25% costs 107.25.
- Removing tax: price before tax = total ÷ (1 + rate). A receipt for 107.25 at 7.25% contains 100 of goods and 7.25 of tax.
A common mistake when removing tax is to take the rate off the total, 7.25% of 107.25, which gives 7.78 instead of 7.25. Dividing is the correct method.
State and local rates
US sales tax is set in layers. Each state has a statewide rate, from zero in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon to 7.25% in California, and most cities and counties add their own. The combined rate can differ between two towns a few miles apart, so use the rate for the delivery address, which is how most sellers charge it. Since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require online sellers to collect their sales tax even without a local store.
What is taxed differently
Many states exempt or reduce tax on groceries, prescription medicine and sometimes clothing, and some tax shipping while others do not. If you are pricing a specific product, check your state revenue department's rules for that category.
VAT and GST
Outside the US, prices usually include VAT or GST. To find the tax inside a UK price at the standard 20% rate, tick the box and enter the price: a 120 pound item contains 100 pounds of goods and 20 of VAT. Businesses use the same calculation to reclaim VAT on purchases.
Estimates only, not financial advice. Rates change, and statewide rates shown are as of 2025. Check your state revenue department for the exact rate at an address.