# How much sales tax is on my purchase?

Adds sales tax to a price, or takes it out of a total, with your state’s base sales tax rate and your local rate.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/sales-tax-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/sales-tax-calculator.json
- Version: 44c63e62ff91

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (The amount is Before tax, Amount $100.00, State California (7.25%), Local rate 0%): At 7.25% in total, the sales tax on $100.00 is $7.25, for $107.25 in all.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| mode | The amount is | Whether the amount is the price before tax (add tax) or a total that includes tax (take tax out). |
| amount | Amount | The price before tax, or the total with tax, as chosen above. |
| state | State | The state where you buy; its statewide base sales tax rate is used. |
| local | Local rate | County, city, and district sales tax on top of the state rate, in percent. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| tax | Sales tax | The sales tax on the price. |
| total | Total with tax | The price plus the sales tax. |
| price | Price before tax | The price the tax is charged on. |
| rate | Combined rate | The state base rate plus the local rate, in percent. |
| stateRate | State base rate | The statewide base sales tax rate, in percent. |

## Method

Rate = state base rate + local rate. Before tax: tax = price × rate ÷ 100, total = price + tax. Including tax: price = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), tax = total − price.

## Assumptions

- State base rates are the statewide general rates of 2026 (Tax Foundation midyear 2026 table, DC from its Office of Tax and Revenue). Local rates are typed by you.
- The District of Columbia rate is 6%; its rise to 7% is postponed to October 1, 2027.
- Not modelled: exemptions and lower rates for groceries, clothing, medicine, and other goods; special rates on cars, meals, lodging, and fuel; and caps on local tax. Tax is not rounded until it is shown.

## Worked examples

1. mode = add, amount = $100.00, state = CA, local = 1.5% gives stateRate = 7.25%, rate = 8.75%, tax = $8.75, total = $108.75. Source: State base rate: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026, https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/: California 7.25%.
2. mode = remove, amount = $108.88, state = NY, local = 4.875% gives rate = 8.875%, price = $100.00, tax = $8.88. Source: State base rate: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026, https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/: New York 4% plus New York City 4.5% and the 0.375% MCTD rate.
3. mode = add, amount = $250.00, state = TX gives stateRate = 6.25%, tax = $15.63, total = $265.63. Source: State base rate: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026, https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/: Texas 6.25%.
4. mode = add, amount = $500.00, state = OR gives tax = $0.00, total = $500.00. Source: State base rate: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026, https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/: Oregon has no general sales tax.

## FAQ

### How do I calculate sales tax?

Multiply the price by the sales tax rate: $100 at 8.75% is $8.75 of tax, $108.75 in all. The rate is the state rate plus any county, city, and district rates where you buy.

### How do I take sales tax out of a total (reverse sales tax)?

Divide the total by 1 plus the rate. A total of $108.875 at 8.875% is 108.875 ÷ 1.08875 = $100 before tax, so the tax was $8.875. Do not just subtract 8.875% of the total; that takes out too little.

### Which states have no sales tax?

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no statewide sales tax. Alaska and Montana allow some local sales taxes, which you can type as the local rate.

### Where do I find my local sales tax rate?

Your state revenue department publishes a rate lookup by address, and a recent receipt shows the combined rate. Subtract the state base rate shown here to get the local part, or type the local rate directly.

### Does every purchase pay the same rate?

No. Many states exempt or lower the rate on groceries, prescription drugs, and clothing, and some charge higher rates on meals, lodging, or cars. This page uses the general rate; for cars, see the car sales tax calculator.

### What does this calculator leave out?

Product exemptions and special rates, local rate caps, and use tax on out-of-state purchases. The District of Columbia rate is 6%; its planned rise to 7% was postponed from October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027. It is an estimate, not tax advice.

## Sources

- Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (state base rates, a cross-check source used by the WP-80 dataset). https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/
- District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue, Sales & Use Tax: the October 2026 increase is postponed to October 1, 2027 (retrieved 2026-09-29). https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/sales-use-tax