What is Sales Tax Calculator?
Free US sales tax calculator for all 50 states + DC. Add tax to a pre-tax price, or reverse-calculate the original price from a tax-inclusive total. Includes a multi-item cart mode. Free to embed on your website. No signup required.
Sales Tax runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript (browser). Your data never leaves your device.
Free Sales Tax Calculator
Select any US state for 2026 state + average local combined sales tax rates, or enter a custom rate. Add tax to a pre-tax amount, or back-calculate the original price from a tax-inclusive total. Switch to cart mode to add multiple items and get the tax and total across your full order.
Tax Rate
State Rate
7.25%
Avg Local
1.57%
Combined
8.82%
State rates sourced from Tax Foundation 2026 data. Local rates are averages — your exact rate may vary by city and county. Always verify with your state's revenue department for compliance.
📐 Open methodology, sources & limitations
Formula
Forward (add tax to a pre-tax price): tax = preTax × (rate/100) total = preTax + tax Reverse (extract tax from a tax-inclusive total): preTax = total ÷ (1 + rate/100) tax = total − preTax Combined rate = state base rate + average local (county + city) rate
Assumptions
- State and average local rates are stored as a fixed reference table covering all 50 states plus Washington DC.
- Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — are flagged as having no state-level sales tax.
- The "average local" rate is a statewide population-weighted average, not the rate of any specific city.
- Reverse calculation divides the total by (1 + rate) — you cannot recover the pre-tax price by simply subtracting the percentage.
- You may override the table rate with a custom rate for a specific transaction.
Sources
- State and average combined sales-tax rates — Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates
- Reverse-tax identity preTax = total ÷ (1 + rate) — algebraic rearrangement of the tax formula
This tool does NOT model:
- City- and district-specific rates within a state
- Product-category exemptions (groceries, prescription drugs, clothing)
- Sales-tax holidays and temporary rate changes
- Use tax, excise tax, and special-jurisdiction surcharges
- Economic-nexus and remote-seller filing rules
- Rate changes enacted after the reference table was last reviewed
Last reviewed: 2026-05-20
This methodology section exists so you can verify the math. We show our formulas because you deserve to know how a number was calculated. This is calculation transparency, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which US states have no sales tax?+
Five states have no state-level sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. However, Alaska allows local governments to impose sales taxes, so the combined average rate in Alaska is 1.76%. The other four (Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon) have no state or general local sales tax.
What is the difference between state sales tax and the combined rate?+
The state sales tax rate is set by the state government and applies statewide. On top of that, many counties, cities, and special districts add their own local sales taxes. The combined rate is the state rate plus the average local rate. For example, California's state rate is 7.25%, but with average local taxes of 1.57%, the combined average is 8.82%. Your actual rate depends on the specific city and county.
How do I calculate the pre-tax price from a total that already includes sales tax?+
Use the "Remove Tax from Total" mode. The formula is: Pre-tax price = Total ÷ (1 + tax rate). For example, if you paid $108.50 and the tax rate is 8.5%, the pre-tax price = $108.50 ÷ 1.085 = $100.00, and the tax was $8.50. This is also called reverse sales tax calculation.
Are the rates in this calculator accurate?+
State rates are accurate for 2026 per Tax Foundation data. Average local rates are averages — your exact combined rate depends on your specific city and county. For high-accuracy compliance (e-commerce, payroll, etc.), always look up the rate for the precise zip code using your state's revenue department website or a tax compliance service.
Does sales tax apply to services?+
It depends on the state. Most states tax sales of physical goods. Services are taxed much less consistently — some states tax most services, some tax only specific services (like telecommunications), and others don't tax services at all. Digital goods and SaaS are treated differently state by state. Always verify with your state's revenue department for your specific product or service category.
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US Sales Tax — How It Works
The United States does not have a federal sales tax. Instead, sales taxes are levied at the state, county, and city level — resulting in thousands of different combined rates across the country. As of 2026, 45 states and Washington DC impose a state sales tax ranging from 2.9% (Colorado) to 7.25% (California). Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no state sales tax.
State Rate vs. Combined Rate
The rate you actually pay at the register is usually the combined rate: the state base rate plus any county and city add-ons. Tennessee has the highest combined average rate at 9.55%, while Louisiana ties at 9.55%. On the low end, Alaska averages 1.76% (local-only), and Hawaii averages 4.44%. Always check the specific combined rate for the city where the transaction occurs for compliance purposes.
Reverse Sales Tax — Working Backwards from a Total
If you know the final amount paid (including tax) and need to find the original pre-tax price, you cannot simply subtract the tax rate percentage. The correct formula is: Pre-tax price = Total ÷ (1 + rate). For example, $108.00 total at 8% sales tax: $108.00 ÷ 1.08 = $100.00 pre-tax, with $8.00 in tax. A common mistake is to calculate $108.00 × 8% = $8.64, which would be wrong because you would be applying the tax rate to the already tax-inclusive amount.