Sales Tax Calculator

How sales tax actually works (the quick version)

Sales tax is a percentage added to the purchase price of goods and services. In the US, there's no federal sales tax—each state (and often each county and city) sets its own rate, which is why you might pay 7.25% in California but 0% in Oregon. This makes pricing and budgeting a bit of a headache, especially if you're selling products across multiple states or shopping online from different regions.

Outside the US, most countries use a Value Added Tax (VAT) system instead. The concept is similar—a percentage is added on top of the base price—but VAT is typically included in the displayed price rather than added at checkout. This calculator works for both scenarios: use "Add Tax" to see what a customer pays at a US register, or "Remove Tax" to extract the pre-VAT price from a European shelf price.

When to use "Add Tax" vs "Remove Tax"

"Add Tax" is straightforward: you know the sticker price, you know your local tax rate, and you want to see the total you'll actually pay. This is how most American retail works—the price tag shows the pre-tax amount, and tax gets tacked on at the register.

"Remove Tax" is the reverse. Say you see a receipt that shows a $53.63 total and you know the tax rate was 8%. You want to find out the original pre-tax price and how much of that total was tax. This mode divides the total by (1 + tax rate) to back out the base price—handy for expense reports, reimbursements, and accounting.

Tax rate presets and a word of caution

We've included common tax rates for the most populated US states plus a handful of international rates to save you a search. But keep in mind these are base state rates—many localities add their own tax on top. Los Angeles County, for example, has a combined rate closer to 9.5%, not just California's base 7.25%. Always double-check your exact local rate on your state's tax authority website if accuracy really matters (like for invoicing or compliance). For quick ballpark estimates and personal budgeting? These presets will get you close enough.