Question 1

How do I calculate sales tax on a purchase?

Accepted Answer

Multiply the price before tax by the sales tax rate (as a decimal), then add it back. Example: a $100 item in a place with an 8.25% rate has $8.25 of tax, for a total of $108.25. This calculator does that maths for you using each state's average combined rate — or a custom rate you type in.

Question 2

What is an “average combined” sales tax rate?

Accepted Answer

Most US sales tax is really two or more taxes stacked together: a state rate plus county, city and special-district rates. The combined rate is the total. Because the local part differs from one town to the next, the Tax Foundation publishes a population-weighted average combined rate for each state. It is the best single estimate for a state, but your exact rate at a specific address can be higher or lower.

Question 3

Which states have no statewide sales tax?

Accepted Answer

Five states levy no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. Of these, only Alaska allows local governments to charge local sales taxes, which is why Alaska's average combined rate is 1.82% even though its state rate is 0%.

Question 4

Which state has the highest sales tax?

Accepted Answer

Using average combined state and local rates (Tax Foundation, midyear 2026), Louisiana is highest at 10.13%, followed by Tennessee (9.61%), Washington (9.57%), Arkansas (9.48%) and Alabama (9.46%). California has the highest state-level rate at 7.25%.

Question 5

Why is the tax on my receipt different from this calculator?

Accepted Answer

Receipts use the exact rate for the shop's location — one specific city, county and district combination. This site uses your state's average combined rate, so small differences are normal. Some items are also taxed differently: many states exempt groceries or tax them at a reduced rate, and clothing, medicines and services follow their own rules in different states.

Question 6

How do I work out the price before tax from a total?

Accepted Answer

Divide the total by (1 + the rate as a decimal). Example: a $108.25 total at 8.25% gives $108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100.00 before tax, so the tax was $8.25. Our reverse sales tax calculator does this for any total and rate.

Question 7

Where does this site's rate data come from?

Accepted Answer

From the Tax Foundation's “State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026” (rates as of July 1, 2026), which compiles Sales Tax Clearinghouse data and state revenue department figures. Rates change over time, so we date-stamp the table and link to the source on our rates page so you can check for a newer edition.

Question 8

Is this calculator free and private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is completely free, and every calculation runs in your own browser — the prices and rates you enter are never sent to a server or stored anywhere.

Sales Tax Calculator

The formula

A worked example for every step

Frequently asked questions