Sales Tax Calculator
Add or remove sales tax — see the real checkout total.
US shelf prices exclude sales tax, which varies by state, county and city — the register total is often a surprise.
How to use
- Choose "Add tax" for shelf prices or "Remove tax" for receipts.
- Enter the amount and your local tax rate.
- The breakdown appears instantly.
About this tool
Reverse mode is handy for expense reports: extract the pre-tax price from a taxed receipt.
Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How it works
Adding tax is multiplication: total = price x (1 + rate). A $100 item at 8% tax costs 100 x 1.08 = $108. The tax portion alone is price x rate.
Removing tax reverses it with division: pre-tax price = taxed total / (1 + rate). That is how you pull the original price out of a receipt for expense reports — $108 / 1.08 = $100.
In many US states the total rate is a stack: state plus county plus city. A 6% state rate with 1.5% county and 1% city surcharges means you calculate with 8.5%, not 6% — always use the combined rate at the register's location.
Worked examples
$100 item at 8.5%: Tax: 100 x 0.085 = $8.50. Total: $108.50. Reverse: 108.50 / 1.085 = $100.00.
Quick reference
| Rate | Tax on $50 | Tax on $200 |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| 7% | $3.50 | $14.00 |
| 8.5% | $4.25 | $17.00 |
| 10% | $5.00 | $20.00 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average US sales tax?
Combined state and local rates average around 7–8%, ranging from 0% to over 10%.
How do I reverse-calculate tax?
Divide the taxed total by (1 + rate). A $108 total at 8% means $100 before tax.
Is my input stored?
No — all math is local.
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