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Sales Tax Calculator

Calculate sales tax and the before- or after-tax price. Enter any two of the before-tax price, tax rate, and after-tax price to solve for the third.

$
%

After-Tax Price

$106.50

Before-Tax Price
$100.00
Sales Tax Rate
6.500%
Sales Tax
$6.50

Price vs tax

Before-tax price 94%, Sales tax 6%
  • Before-tax price94%
  • Sales tax6%
After-Tax Price$106.50View results

Work out sales tax and prices three ways. Enter any two of the before-tax price, the sales tax rate, and the after-tax price, and the calculator solves for the third along with the tax amount — including the reverse calculation of backing tax out of a total.

Formula

All three modes rearrange one relationship between the before-tax price, the rate, and the after-tax total:

After-tax price = Before-tax price × (1 + rate)
Sales tax       = Before-tax price × rate
Before-tax price = After-tax price ÷ (1 + rate)
Tax rate        = (After-tax price ÷ Before-tax price) − 1
To remove tax from a total, divide by (1 + rate) — don't just subtract the rate. Subtracting 6.5% of the total slightly overstates the tax.

Selected U.S. statewide sales tax rates

State base rates only; cities and counties often add more, and rates change — verify the current combined rate for your location.

StateBase rate
California7.25%
Indiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Tennessee7.00%
Texas6.25%
Florida6.00%
New York4.00%
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon0.00%

Examples

$100 item at 6.5% tax

A $100 purchase at a 6.5% rate adds $6.50 of sales tax for an after-tax price of $106.50.

Backing tax out of a $106.50 total

Given a $106.50 total at 6.5%, the before-tax price is $106.50 ÷ 1.065 = $100.00, so the tax was $6.50.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the before-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal). At a 6.5% rate, a $100 item has $100 × 0.065 = $6.50 of sales tax, for an after-tax price of $106.50.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Divide the after-tax total by one plus the tax rate. A $106.50 total at 6.5% is $106.50 ÷ 1.065 = $100.00 before tax. This "reverse" calculation is useful for backing tax out of a receipt total.
How do I find the tax rate from two prices?
Divide the after-tax price by the before-tax price and subtract one. If an item costs $100 before tax and $106.50 after, the rate is $106.50 ÷ $100 − 1 = 0.065, or 6.5%.
Is there a federal sales tax in the United States?
No. The U.S. has no national sales tax. Sales tax is set by states and localities, so the combined rate depends on where you buy. Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no statewide sales tax, though some localities in Alaska levy their own.

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