Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax or VAT to any price — or work backwards from the total to the pre-tax price.
Price it with tax
100 * 2.Type a number or a formula, like 8.5 or 17 / 2.
How to Use the Calculator
Choose whether to add tax to a shelf price or remove tax from a total to find the pre-tax price. Enter the amount, pick your US state or EU country (or type a custom rate), and the calculator shows the tax amount and the final total instantly.
US rates shown are average combined state + local rates — the number most shoppers actually pay. Five states (Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and effectively Alaska) have no statewide sales tax at all.
US Sales Tax vs EU VAT Explained
They're both consumption taxes, but they work differently:
- US sales tax is added at checkout. The shelf price is pre-tax, and the rate depends on the exact city and county — that's why the same chain charges different totals in different zip codes. Rates range from 0% to over 10%.
- EU VAT (value-added tax) is included in the displayed price. The €100 tag already contains VAT; the receipt just breaks it out. National standard rates run from 17% (Luxembourg) to 27% (Hungary).
- Who pays: economically, the consumer pays both. Legally, US retailers collect sales tax from you; EU businesses remit VAT along the whole supply chain and you pay it baked into the price.
- Tourists: non-EU visitors can often reclaim VAT on purchases taken home (ask for a tax-refund form at the shop). There's no equivalent for US sales tax — visitors pay it like everyone else.
Use add mode for US shopping and remove mode for EU prices when you want to see the pre-tax amount.
What Sales Tax Doesn't Cover
Not everything gets taxed, and the exemptions are wonderfully inconsistent:
- Groceries: most states exempt or tax them at a lower rate — California exempts most groceries at the state level, while a few states tax them fully.
- Clothing: some states exempt it entirely (looking at you, Pennsylvania for most clothing), others tax every sock.
- Digital goods: a growing patchwork — your state may or may not tax streaming, downloads, and SaaS.
- Sales tax holidays: many states run annual tax-free weekends for back-to-school supplies, clothing, or emergency gear. Time a big purchase right and the rate is effectively 0%.
The practical takeaway: the rate in this calculator is the general merchandise rate. Groceries, medicine, and clothing may ring up differently — check your receipt before assuming.
Worked Example: $200 Item in California
Add mode — California, avg 8.82%
Step 1 — Tax: $200 × 8.82% = $200 × 0.0882 = $17.64.
Step 2 — Total: $200 + $17.64 = $217.64 at the register.
Remove mode — same $217.64 receipt
Pre-tax price: $217.64 ÷ 1.0882 = $200.00. Tax: $217.64 − $200.00 = $17.64.
Same $200 in Oregon
No sales tax: you pay exactly $200.00. That $17.64 difference is why cross-border shopping trips are a Pacific Northwest tradition.
State Rate Highlights
Based on Tax Foundation midyear-2025 average combined rates:
| State | Avg combined rate | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 10.11% | Highest in the US — over $10 tax per $100 |
| Tennessee | 9.61% | High rate offsets having no income tax |
| Arkansas | 9.48% | Top 3 nationally |
| Washington | 9.47% | No income tax; sales tax carries the load |
| California | 8.82% | Highest state-level rate at 7.25% |
| Texas | 8.20% | No income tax either — sales tax fills the gap |
| Florida | 7.02% | Moderate; tourists pay a big share |
| Oregon | 0% | No statewide sales tax at all |
The pattern is telling: states without income taxes (Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee) lean harder on sales tax. There's no free lunch in state revenue — just different menus. Your actual rate depends on your city and county, so treat these averages as planning numbers.
Reverse Mode: Price Before Tax
Remove mode answers "how much of this total is actually the product?" — useful more often than you'd think:
- Comparing EU and US prices. A €242 camera in Germany (19% VAT) is €203.36 pre-tax ≈ $220 — suddenly comparable to the $219 US price.
- Business expenses. If you can deduct or reclaim the tax, the pre-tax price is your real cost.
- Checking a receipt. Divide the total by (1 + rate) — if it doesn't match the shelf price, something was rung up wrong.
- Discount math. A "20% off" coupon usually applies to the pre-tax price. Find that first with remove mode, discount it, then add tax back with our Discount Calculator.
My saved numbers reuse them in any calculator
Save a number once — like your rent or hourly rate — then just type its name instead of the number, in any calculator here. You can also type formulas like 5000 * 1.1 right into any box.
Saved only in this browser — nothing is sent to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate sales tax?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal, then add it to the price. A $200 item in California (avg 8.82%): $200 × 0.0882 = $17.64 tax, $217.64 total.
What is VAT and how does it differ?
VAT (value-added tax) is a consumption tax included in the displayed price, used across the EU with national rates from 17% (Luxembourg) to 27% (Hungary). US sales tax is added at checkout instead, and varies by state, county, and city.
Which US state has the highest sales tax?
Louisiana has the highest average combined state and local rate at 10.11%, followed by Tennessee (9.61%) and Arkansas (9.48%), per Tax Foundation 2025 data. California has the highest state-level rate at 7.25%.
How do I remove VAT from a price?
Divide the tax-inclusive price by one plus the VAT rate as a decimal. A €242 price with 21% VAT is €242 ÷ 1.21 = €200 pre-tax. Use this calculator's "Remove tax" mode to do it instantly.
Is sales tax the same in every state?
No — it ranges from 0% in states like Oregon and Delaware to over 10% average in Louisiana. Even within a state, cities and counties add their own local taxes, so the exact rate depends on where you buy.