Add tax to a price, or work out what a total was before tax.
Total with tax
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Price before tax
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Tax amount
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Total with tax
Price vs tax
State figures below are average combined state-plus-local rates for illustration only — actual rates vary by city, county and product category. Confirm the exact local rate before pricing or filing.
*State rate plus the population-weighted average local rate. Your city or county figure will differ — this is a starting point, not a lookup.
US sales tax is quoted excluding tax — the sticker price is not the price you pay at the register.
Reverse tax: $55.62 ÷ 1.0885 = $51.10 pre-tax, not $50.71 from subtracting 8.85% directly.
Some categories — groceries, prescription drugs, clothing in some states — are taxed at a lower rate or exempt entirely.
Currency
Amounts follow the currency selected above.
How do I add sales tax to a price?
Multiply the price by the tax rate as a decimal, then add it to the price. At 8.85% tax, a $51.98 item attracts $4.60 of tax, for a total of $56.58.
How do I find the price before tax from a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the tax rate as a decimal — never subtract the percentage directly, which overstates the tax. $56.58 ÷ 1.0885 = $51.98 pre-tax.
Do all US states charge the same sales tax?
No. Rates are set by state, and most states let counties and cities add their own on top, so the combined rate varies block to block in some areas. Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon — charge no statewide sales tax at all.
Is sales tax the same as GST or VAT?
They work the same way arithmetically, but US sales tax is charged only at the final retail sale, while GST and VAT are collected at every stage of production with credits for tax already paid. For GST/VAT-style calculations, see the GST calculator.