Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax amount and total price for any purchase. Select a common US state rate or enter your own.
What Is a Sales Tax Calculator?
A sales tax calculator helps you determine exactly how much tax you'll pay on a purchase and what the final price will be. It's especially useful when shopping across state lines or budgeting for large purchases where the tax difference can be significant.
Sales tax in the United States varies dramatically by location. While some states like Oregon and Delaware charge no sales tax at all, others like California and Tennessee have rates above 7%. On top of state rates, many cities and counties add their own local taxes, making the actual rate you pay depend heavily on where you shop.
This calculator lets you quickly enter any price and tax rate to see the exact tax amount and total cost. The quick-select buttons show base state rates for the most populated US states, so you can compare costs across different locations with a single click.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the item price by the tax rate expressed as a decimal. For example, a $50 item at 7% tax: $50 × 0.07 = $3.50 in tax, for a total of $53.50. This calculator handles the math for you automatically.
Which US states have no sales tax?
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. However, Alaska allows local municipalities to levy their own sales taxes, so some Alaskan cities do charge a local rate.
Do I pay sales tax on online purchases?
In most cases, yes. After the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require online retailers to collect sales tax even if they have no physical presence in the state. Most major online retailers now collect sales tax based on the shipping address.
What is the difference between sales tax and use tax?
Sales tax is collected by the seller at the point of sale. Use tax is owed by the buyer when sales tax was not collected, such as purchases from out-of-state sellers. The rates are typically identical, but enforcement mechanisms differ.
Can sales tax rates change within a state?
Yes. Most states have a base state rate, but cities and counties can add their own local taxes on top. For example, California's state rate is 7.25%, but the combined rate in Los Angeles can reach 10.25% with local additions. Always check the total combined rate for your specific location.
Example Calculation
You're buying a laptop priced at $999.99 in Texas, where the state sales tax rate is 6.25%. Here's the breakdown:
- Pre-tax price: $999.99
- Tax rate: 6.25%
- Tax amount: $999.99 × 0.0625 = $62.50
- Total price: $1,062.49
If you bought the same laptop in Oregon (0% sales tax), you'd save $62.50. For big-ticket purchases, comparing tax rates across states can lead to meaningful savings.