Sales Tax Calculator
Add tax to a price, remove tax from a receipt total, or compare what you would pay at different tax rates. Enter your own rate — works for any country.
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How to Use This Calculator
Tab "Add Tax"
Enter the item price before tax and your local tax rate. The calculator instantly shows the tax amount, total price, and effective tax rate (tax as a share of the total).
Tab "Remove Tax"
Enter the total price from your receipt (the amount that already includes tax) and the tax rate. The calculator reverses the tax to show the original pre-tax price and how much tax was included. Useful for expense reports, bookkeeping, and verifying receipts.
Tab "Compare Rates"
Enter a base price and three different tax rates. The side-by-side table shows the tax amount and total for each rate — useful for comparing what you would pay in different cities, states, or countries.
The Formulas
Tax = Price × Rate
Total = Price + Tax
Equivalent: Total = Price × (1 + Rate)
Remove tax (reverse calculation):
Pre-tax price = Total / (1 + Rate)
Tax = Total − Pre-tax price
Effective tax rate:
Effective rate = Tax / Total × 100%
(Always lower than the stated rate because the base is larger)
These are standard arithmetic formulas. No country-specific rules are applied — you supply the tax rate yourself.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Add Tax: $49.99 at 8.875%
A shopper buys an item priced at $49.99 before tax. The local sales tax rate is 8.875% (New York City combined rate).
Calculation: Tax = $49.99 × 0.08875 = $4.44. Total = $49.99 + $4.44 = $54.43.
Example 2 — Remove Tax: $86.25 receipt total at 7%
A receipt shows a total of $86.25. The tax rate was 7%. What was the pre-tax price?
Calculation: Pre-tax = $86.25 / 1.07 = $80.61. Tax = $86.25 − $80.61 = $5.64.
Example 3 — Compare: $100 item at 0%, 7.25%, and 10.25%
Compare the total cost of the same $100 item in three locations with different tax rates.
| Tax Rate | Tax Amount | Total Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0% ★ | $0.00 | $100.00 |
| 7.25% | $7.25 | $107.25 |
| 10.25% | $10.25 | $110.25 |
The same $100 item costs $10.25 more in a 10.25% tax jurisdiction compared to a tax-free location. On a $1,000 purchase, that difference grows to $102.50.