Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate sales tax for any US state. Reverse-calculate tax from a receipt, or compare rates across states. All 50 states + DC with 2026 rates.

Calculate sales tax on any purchase in any US state

Purchase price

State

Custom rate override

Enter your local combined rate if you know it. Leave 0 to use state rate.

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Try another scenario

How to Use This Calculator

Calculate Sales Tax tab

The default tab. Enter the price before tax, select your state, and see the sales tax amount and total you'll pay. Toggle between "Price before tax" and "Price after tax" modes. Expand "More options" to override the tax rate with your exact local rate.

Reverse Sales Tax tab

You have a receipt showing $127.43 total — how much was tax? Enter the total amount paid, select your state, and the calculator extracts the pre-tax price and tax amount. Useful for expense reports, reimbursements, and tax deductions.

Compare States tab

Compare sales tax across 4 states side by side on any purchase amount. See which state charges the most and least. Expand the full table to view all 50 states + DC ranked by combined rate.

Share your result

Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to a colleague, accountant, or friend.

The Formula

Sales tax is calculated as a percentage of the purchase price:

Sales Tax = Price × Tax Rate

Total = Price + Sales Tax
Total = Price × (1 + Tax Rate)

Reverse calculation:
Pre-tax Price = Total ÷ (1 + Tax Rate)
Tax Paid = Total − Pre-tax Price

The combined rate is what you actually pay: state rate + average local rate. For example, Tennessee has a 7% state rate but 9.61% combined because counties and cities add their own taxes. Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no state sales tax.

Most states exempt groceries from sales tax, or tax them at a reduced rate. The calculator shows each state's grocery status.

Example

Emma — buying a $1,200 laptop in Texas

Emma lives in Austin, TX. The Texas state sales tax rate is 6.25%, and the average combined rate (state + local) is 8.20%.

Calculate Sales Tax tab

Laptop price$1,200.00

State rate6.25%

Combined rate (avg)8.20%

Sales tax$98.40

Total$1,298.40

Emma pays $98.40 in sales tax. If she bought the same laptop in Oregon (0% sales tax), she'd save the full $98.40.

Compare States tab

Texas (8.20%)$1,298.40

California (8.99%)$1,307.88

Tennessee (9.61%)$1,315.32

Oregon (0%)$1,200.00

On a $1,200 purchase, the difference between the highest-tax state (Tennessee) and a no-tax state (Oregon) is $115.32.

FAQ

Which states have no sales tax? ▼

Five states have no state sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. However, Alaska allows local jurisdictions to charge sales tax, so some cities in Alaska do collect it. The other four are completely sales-tax-free.

What’s the difference between state and combined sales tax rates? ▼

The state rate is set by the state legislature and applies statewide. The combined rate includes both the state rate and the average local rate (county, city, and special district taxes). For example, California's state rate is 7.25%, but the average combined rate is 8.99% because most cities add local taxes. The combined rate is what you actually pay at the register.

Are groceries taxed? ▼

It depends on the state. Most states exempt groceries from sales tax. Some states tax groceries at a reduced rate (e.g., Illinois at 1%, Virginia at 1%). A few states tax groceries at the full rate (e.g., Mississippi, Alabama, South Dakota). The calculator shows the grocery tax status for each state.

Is there a federal sales tax in the US? ▼

No. The United States has no federal sales tax or VAT. Sales tax is collected only at the state and local level. This is why rates vary so much between states — from 0% in Oregon to 9.61% combined in Tennessee. Some countries like the UK and Germany use a national VAT instead.

Do I pay sales tax on online purchases? ▼

Yes. Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require online retailers to collect sales tax even if they don’t have a physical presence in the state. Most major online retailers now collect sales tax based on the buyer’s shipping address. The rate you pay is the combined rate for your location.

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