Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a price, or work backward from a tax-included total to find the pre-tax price. Pick the direction that matches yours below.
US sales tax varies by state, county, and city — there's no single national rate, so this calculator needs your rate as an input rather than assuming one. If you're checking a receipt and want to know the pre-tax price, use "Remove tax" below. If you're figuring out a total before you buy, use "Add tax."
Formulas: Total = Price × (1 + Rate ÷ 100); Pre-tax Price = Total ÷ (1 + Rate ÷ 100)
Calculate
Total price
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The formulas
| Direction | Formula |
|---|---|
| Add tax | Total = Price × (1 + Rate ÷ 100) |
| Remove tax | Pre-tax Price = Total ÷ (1 + Rate ÷ 100) |
Worked examples
Add tax: A $70 item with 6.5% sales tax.
Tax = 70 × 0.065 = $4.55. Total = 70 + 4.55 = $74.55
Remove tax: A receipt shows $74.55 total, and you know the rate was 6.5%. What was the price before tax?
Pre-tax Price = 74.55 ÷ 1.065 = $70.00 — confirming it reverses the add-tax example above exactly.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I have to enter the tax rate myself?
Sales tax in the US is set at the state level, and often combined with county and city rates on top of that, so there's no single number that's correct everywhere. Check your receipt, your state's department of revenue, or your local tax authority for the exact combined rate in your area.
Is "remove tax" the same as dividing by the rate?
No — a common mistake is subtracting the tax percentage directly from the total, which gives a wrong answer. You have to divide by (1 + Rate ÷ 100), not multiply the total by the rate and subtract. See the worked example above.
Is sales tax applied before or after a discount?
Sales tax is normally calculated on the discounted price, not the original price. If you're working out both a discount and tax, apply the discount first — see the Percent Off Calculator — then use "Add tax" here on the result.
What's the difference between sales tax and VAT?
Sales tax (used in the US) is charged once, at the final point of sale to the consumer. VAT (used in the UK, EU, and many other countries) is charged at each stage of production and is usually already included in the displayed price. The math for adding or removing a flat percentage is the same either way — this calculator works for both, you just supply the applicable rate.
Sources
Related calculators and guides
Calculators
This calculator is provided for general informational purposes and is not financial, tax, or professional advice. Sales tax rates and rules vary by jurisdiction — verify the correct rate with your local tax authority before relying on this for a real transaction.
Cedrick Reese, Founder
I'm Cedrick Reese, a retired veteran and web developer who built PercentageChangeCalculators.com as part of Ready Utilities, my collection of free, user-friendly online tools. My journey began in the early 2000s with affiliate marketing and niche site development, which grew into a passion for creating practical digital utilities and calculators. After retiring, I earned a Computer Systems Technician certificate from UEI College, completed Electro-Mechanical Technologies at Tulsa Welding School, and finished the Carpentry program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Today, I combine my technical background and craftsmanship by building furniture using traditional woodworking methods, gardening, and developing helpful online tools for users worldwide.