$100 at 8.25%
$8.25 of tax, $108 in total.
Sales tax calculator
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One combined sales tax rate (state plus county and city) applied to the whole price. Some items, such as groceries in many states, are taxed at a lower rate or not at all.
The price I have is
%
Total with tax
$108
$100 plus $8.25 of sales tax at 8.25% is $108.
- Price before tax
- $100
- Sales tax
- $8.25
- Total
- $108
Adding sales tax, and taking it back out
In the US the price on the shelf usually leaves out sales tax, which is added at the till. The rate is a stack: a state rate plus county, city and district rates. That is why two shops a few miles apart can charge different totals for the same thing.
Adding the tax is a single multiplication. At a combined rate of 8.25%, a $100 item has $8.25 of tax and costs $108.25. A $40 dinner bill at the same rate has $3.30 of tax before the tip.
Working backwards is where people slip. If a receipt says $54.13 with tax at 8.25%, the price before tax is $54.13 ÷ 1.0825 = $50.00, and the tax is $4.13. Taking 8.25% of $54.13 and subtracting it gives $49.66, which is wrong, because the tax was charged on the smaller number.
Use this for expense reports, for checking a receipt, or for setting a price that comes to a round total. It assumes one rate for the whole amount; if some items are exempt, run them separately.
Sources
What this calculator does not account for
- One rate for the whole amount.
- Exempt items such as groceries need a separate run.
How this is calculated
Formula: Sales tax
tax =price × rate ÷ 100; price before tax =total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100)What the symbols mean
- priceThe price before tax.
- rateThe combined state, county and city rate.
- totalThe amount on the receipt.
Good to know
- Working backwards, divide by 1 plus the rate. Subtracting the rate from the total gives the wrong answer.
- For VAT or GST, use the GST and VAT calculator.
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Worked examples
Each example is worked out by the same code as the calculator above.
$54.13 receipt at 8.25%
$50.00 before tax and $4.13 of tax.
Embed this calculator
The frame shows the tool only.
<iframe src="/embed/sales-tax-calculator" title="Sales tax" width="100%" height="720" style="border:0;max-width:42rem" loading="lazy"></iframe>Questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the tax rate as a decimal. At 8.25%, $100 × 0.0825 = $8.25, so the total is $108.25.
How do I find the price before tax?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate. $54.13 ÷ 1.0825 = $50.00, so the tax was $4.13.
Why is my sales tax rate higher than the state rate?
Counties, cities and special districts add their own rates on top. The combined rate is what you pay at the till.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no state sales tax, although some Alaska towns charge a local one.
Is sales tax charged on groceries?
It depends on the state. Many exempt groceries or tax them at a lower rate, so a single rate will not fit a mixed shopping cart.