Sales Tax Calculator
This calculator adds a sales tax rate to a pre-tax price to show the tax amount and total price. Enter the price before tax and your local sales tax rate.
How It Works
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate (as a decimal) to find the tax amount. Add that to the original price for the total. US combined state and local sales tax rates typically range from 0% to over 10% depending on location.
Worked Examples
Example 1. $85 item at 8.5% tax. Tax = $85 × 0.085 = $7.23. Total = $92.23.
Example 2. $299 item at 6% tax. Tax = $17.94. Total = $316.94.
When to Use This Calculator
Use when budgeting a purchase, comparing prices across states with different tax rates, or estimating the true cost of an online order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my sales tax rate?
Sales tax rates are set by state, county, and city. Search your state revenue department website or the address-level lookup tools many states provide.
Is this the same as VAT?
VAT (Value Added Tax) used in many countries differs from US sales tax in how it is collected across the supply chain. This calculator applies a simple end-consumer tax rate.
How do I reverse-calculate pre-tax price?
Divide the total price by (1 + tax rate/100). For example, a $92.23 total at 8.5% tax: $92.23 ÷ 1.085 ≈ $85.