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Sales Tax Calculator

Quickly add sales tax to any purchase amount.

Inputs

Total (with tax)
$107.25
At 7.25% sales tax
Tax Amount
$7.25
Net Amount
$100.00

Breakdown

Net (pre-tax)
$100.00
Sales Tax
$7.25
Total
$107.25

You entered the pre-tax amount. Sales tax is computed and added on top.

What is the Sales Tax Calculator?

A sales tax calculator is a free online tool that adds sales tax (or VAT) to any purchase amount, or reverses a tax-included price to find the pre-tax amount. Use it to compute the final price at checkout across U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and VAT-charging countries.

Sales Tax Calculator formula

Total = amount × (1 + rate), where rate is the sales tax rate as a decimal (e.g., 7.25% = 0.0725). To reverse a tax-included total back to its pre-tax amount, divide the total by (1 + rate). The tax portion = total − pre-tax amount.

How to use the Sales Tax calculator

  1. 1Enter the purchase amount.
  2. 2Enter the sales tax rate as a percentage (e.g., 7.25 for California).
  3. 3Choose whether the amount entered is pre-tax or tax-included.
  4. 4Optionally add a second tax (e.g., state + local, or VAT + excise).
  5. 5Review the tax amount and the final total cost.

Example calculation

A $50 purchase in a state with 7.25% sales tax adds $3.63 in tax, for a total of $53.63. Reversing it: a $100 tax-included receipt at 8% sales tax breaks down to $92.59 of goods plus $7.41 of tax.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate sales tax on a purchase?
Multiply the pre-tax amount by the sales tax rate (as a decimal), then add the result to the original amount. For a $50 purchase at 7.25% tax: $50 × 0.0725 = $3.63 tax, for a total of $53.63.
How do I back out sales tax from a total?
Divide the tax-included total by (1 + rate). For an $80 receipt at 8% tax: $80 ÷ 1.08 = $74.07 pre-tax, and $80 − $74.07 = $5.93 tax. This is useful for expense reports and bookkeeping.
Which U.S. state has the highest sales tax?
As of 2024, California has the highest state-level sales tax rate at 7.25%. When combined with local city and county taxes, some California cities reach over 10.5% — the highest combined rates in the country.
What's the difference between sales tax and VAT?
Sales tax is charged only at the final retail sale to a consumer. VAT (value-added tax) is charged at each stage of production but credited back to businesses, so the final consumer effectively pays it. VAT rates in Europe range from 17% (Luxembourg) to 27% (Hungary).

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