Everyday Costs
Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax in either direction: enter a pre-tax price plus rate to see the after-tax total, or enter a total to back out the pre-tax amount. Useful for purchases, business expense tracking, comparing prices across states, or sanity-checking a receipt.
Everyday Costs
Sales Tax Calculator
Result
Sales tax is one of the most regressive features of the US tax system — flat-rate, applied at the point of purchase, and varying wildly by state and city. The combined state-and-local rate ranges from 0% (in five states) to over 10% in some cities. A $1,000 purchase costs $1,000 in Delaware, $1,096 in Tennessee, and somewhere in between in most states. This calculator handles both directions — calculate tax on a pre-tax price, or back out the pre-tax amount from a total. It's also useful for understanding what you're actually paying when you cross state lines.
How this calculator works
You enter two values:
- Price. Either the pre-tax price (to add tax) or the total price (to back out tax).
- Tax rate. The combined state and local sales tax rate as a percentage. Use the full combined rate, not just the state portion.
The math: when adding tax, multiply the pre-tax price by (1 + rate/100). When backing out tax from a total, divide by (1 + rate/100). The calculator handles both — just specify which direction you're calculating.
Reading the result
For an add-tax calculation, the result is the final total you'll pay. For a back-out calculation, you get the pre-tax amount (useful for tracking deductible business expenses, comparing pre-tax prices across stores, or filing tax returns).
A useful framing: think of sales tax as a percentage tip you owe to the state. At 8% sales tax, every $100 spent is really $108 out the door. Over a year, for a household spending $30,000 on taxable items, that's $2,400 in sales tax — the equivalent of a $30 monthly subscription.
US sales tax rates by state — current picture
Sales tax in the US is administered at three levels: state, county, and city/local. The total rate is the sum of whatever applies at the point of sale. A current snapshot of state-level base rates:
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon. Alaska allows local sales taxes (some Alaskan cities charge up to 7.5%); the others are fully sales-tax-free at any level.
Tennessee (9.55%), Louisiana (9.55%), Arkansas (9.46%), Washington (9.38%), Alabama (9.29%) — combined state and local rates per the Tax Foundation. Specific cities can be much higher: Chicago hits 10.25%, parts of Seattle and Tennessee can exceed 10.5%.
Hawaii (4.5%), Wyoming (5.44%), Wisconsin (5.43%), Maine (5.5%), Virginia (5.77%). Hawaii's General Excise Tax technically applies to businesses, not consumers, but is typically passed through.
State sales tax rates change occasionally; local rates change more frequently. For a real purchase, check the rate at the actual point of sale or your delivery address.
The online sales tax landscape — post-Wayfair
Until 2018, online purchases were often tax-free if the seller didn't have a physical presence in your state. The Supreme Court's South Dakota v. Wayfair decision changed that. Now:
- Economic nexus. If a seller exceeds a state's threshold (commonly $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions), they must collect sales tax for that state regardless of physical presence.
- Marketplace facilitator laws. Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and similar platforms collect sales tax on behalf of third-party sellers in nearly every state with sales tax.
- Destination-based sourcing. For most online purchases, the applicable rate is based on the shipping address, not the seller's location.
The practical effect: most online purchases now include sales tax automatically based on where they ship. The "buy online to avoid tax" loophole that existed pre-2018 is largely closed for major retailers.
Strategies for managing sales tax
For most consumers, sales tax is unavoidable, but a few strategies help:
- Time large purchases around sales tax holidays. Many states have annual back-to-school or hurricane-prep tax-free weekends (Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts are notable). Saving 6-9% on a major electronics or clothing purchase is meaningful.
- Buy across state lines carefully — and legally. Buying in a lower-tax state to bring back home is technically subject to "use tax" — though use tax is rarely enforced for small consumer purchases. Large items (cars, boats, machinery) are usually enforced through registration.
- Use tax-free states for big-ticket items if logistical. Buying a car in Oregon or Delaware to register elsewhere triggers use tax in the home state. Buying electronics or jewelry while traveling and bringing them home is more practical (small enforcement risk).
- Know what's exempt in your state. Most states exempt unprepared groceries, prescription medications, and certain medical supplies. Some exempt clothing under a price threshold (Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey). Knowing the exemptions for your state helps with budgeting.
- Track sales tax for business expenses. If you're self-employed or itemizing, state sales tax paid is deductible on federal returns (an alternative to deducting state income tax under the SALT cap). Useful for residents of no-income-tax states like Texas, Florida, and Washington.
- Watch for added local fees. Some areas charge restaurant taxes, hotel taxes, rental car taxes, or special-district taxes on top of the standard sales tax. These can push the total tax bite well above 15% on travel-related purchases.
When this estimate won't match the receipt
Several real-world wrinkles make sales tax messier than a simple percentage:
- Item-level exemptions. Many states exempt or apply reduced rates to specific items — groceries, prescription drugs, certain clothing items. A $200 purchase split between taxable and exempt items will have lower-than-expected total tax.
- District add-ons. Some specific districts within a city or county have higher rates than the surrounding area. The tax you see at one store may differ from the same item at another store across the street.
- Service taxes vary widely. Hair styling is taxed in some states and not others. Veterinary services, dry cleaning, and lawn care all have wildly different state-by-state treatment.
- Bundle pricing. Some retailers advertise prices "tax included" — running the calculator assumes the displayed price is pre-tax, so verify which you have.
- Special tax categories. Restaurant meals, hotel stays, rental cars, alcohol, tobacco, and gasoline often have additional excise taxes layered on top of standard sales tax. Total tax can hit 15-20% on these.
Frequently asked questions
How is sales tax calculated?
Sales tax is calculated by multiplying the pre-tax price by the combined sales tax rate (state + local). On a $100 purchase with an 8% combined tax rate, the tax is $8 and the total is $108. To work backward from a total price, divide by (1 + tax_rate / 100): a $108 total at 8% tax means the pre-tax price was $108 / 1.08 = $100. The calculator handles both directions.
Which states have no sales tax?
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska allows local jurisdictions to charge sales tax (typical range 1-7%), so coastal Alaska is functionally no-tax but many municipalities aren't. The other four are fully sales-tax-free at any level. Residents of these states often pay other taxes (Oregon has a high state income tax; New Hampshire has high property taxes) — the overall tax burden isn't necessarily lower.
Is sales tax based on where I live or where I buy?
Generally where you buy (the point of sale) for in-person transactions. For online purchases since the 2018 Supreme Court Wayfair decision, sellers must collect sales tax based on the shipping destination if they have "economic nexus" in that state. Practically: in-store purchases use the store's local tax rate; most online purchases use your home delivery address rate. Some states use "origin-based" sourcing for in-state transactions (Texas, Arizona, Illinois, and a few others).
Which state has the highest sales tax?
Tennessee has the highest combined state and local sales tax average at 9.55%. Louisiana, Arkansas, Washington, and Alabama all average 9%+ when state and local rates are combined. The highest single state rate is California at 7.25%, but California's local additions push combined rates well above 10% in some cities. Chicago has one of the highest big-city combined rates at 10.25%.
Are services taxed?
It depends on the state and the service. Most states tax tangible goods consistently but treat services very differently. Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, and West Virginia tax most services. Many states tax specific services (telecom, hotel stays, vehicle repair) while exempting professional services (legal, medical, accounting). Other states exempt almost all services. Check your state's department of revenue for specific rules — service-tax rules are some of the most variable in the US tax system.
What is use tax?
Use tax is a self-reported tax on purchases where sales tax wasn't collected — typically when you buy from an out-of-state seller without nexus in your state, or when you bring goods from a lower-tax state into your home state. Technically, every state with a sales tax also has a use tax requirement. Most individuals don't report use tax on small purchases, but enforcement has increased for high-value items (cars purchased out of state, large online purchases). State income tax forms often include a use tax line.
More from this series
A note on this estimate
WalletCalcs provides educational estimates only. Results are not financial, tax, lending, legal, or investment advice. Sales tax rates change frequently and vary by exact location and item category. For business compliance or large purchases, consult your state's department of revenue or a tax professional.