Sales Tax Calculator
This sales tax calculator adds sales tax to a pre-tax price using example statewide rates for common US states — or your own custom rate for any jurisdiction. Enter the item price, pick the state (or custom), and get the tax amount plus the total the customer pays. Use it to quote accurate checkout totals and to sanity-check what your platform charges.
The item price before sales tax is applied.
Statewide base rates shown are examples as of Oct 2026 — local taxes add more.
Total with tax
107.25
- Sales tax
- 7.25
- Applied rateExample statewide base rate — verify your jurisdiction.
- 7.25%
How it was calculated
- Tax: $100.00 × 7.25% = $7.25.
- Total: $100.00 + $7.25 = $107.25.
How it works
Sales tax = price × tax rate. A $100 item at 7.25% accrues $7.25 of tax.
Total = price + tax, equivalently price × (1 + rate). $100 × 1.0725 = $107.25.
The rates offered are statewide base rates; counties and cities levy additional local taxes, so real combined rates are usually higher.
To work backwards (find the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total), divide by (1 + rate) instead.
Worked examples
$100 item in California (7.25% example rate)
Tax = 100 × 0.0725 = $7.25. Total = $107.25. In Los Angeles the combined rate is higher because county and city taxes stack on top of the 7.25% base.
$250 item at a custom 8.5% combined rate
Tax = 250 × 0.085 = $21.25. Total = $271.25. Use the custom option whenever you know the exact combined rate for the buyer's address.
How to measure
- Tax the price the customer actually pays — after discounts, before shipping in most states.
- Look up the combined rate by ZIP code, not just the state base; local add-ons are the norm.
- Marketplace facilitator laws mean platforms often collect for you — know when you must remit yourself.
- Track economic nexus thresholds: selling into a state beyond its sales threshold creates collection duty there.
- Recheck rates yearly; states and localities adjust them, usually upward.
Assumptions & limitations
Planning estimate
- Statewide rates shown are examples as published October 2026 — verify your jurisdiction before pricing or remitting; rates change and local levies apply.
- The calculator applies one flat rate to the whole price; tiered, exempt or reduced-rate goods are not modeled.
- Shipping taxability and marketplace facilitator collection rules vary by state and are not included.
- This is a planning estimate, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate as a decimal. $100 × 7.25% = $7.25 tax, $107.25 total. The rate to use is the combined state-plus-local rate for the buyer's location.
Generally the buyer's (destination) state, once you have nexus there — most states now use destination sourcing. If you only sell in your home state, that state's rules apply. Nexus thresholds differ, so check each state you ship to.
The state rate is the base every seller in the state charges; counties, cities and districts add local levies on top. A 6% state base can easily become 8–9% combined at a city address — which is why ZIP-level lookup matters.
It depends on the state: some tax shipping when it is part of the sale, others exempt separately-stated delivery charges. Check the destination state's rules rather than assuming.
In most US states, marketplace facilitator laws require platforms like Amazon, Etsy and eBay to collect and remit sales tax on your marketplace sales. You generally still handle tax on your own website sales yourself.