How to use the sales tax calculator
Choose what to find. Total adds the tax to a price, Price takes the tax out of a total you paid, and Rate finds the tax rate from the price and the total on a receipt. Pick a state, and a city if it is listed, to fill in the rate, or type the rate yourself. The result shows the price, the tax and the total, and for a location the state and local parts of the rate.
Sales tax formula
Sales tax is a percentage of the price, added at the register: tax = price × rate and total = price × (1 + rate). To take the tax back out of a total, divide by one plus the rate: price = total ÷ (1 + rate). The rate itself is total ÷ price − 1.
Sales tax calculator example
A $100.00 purchase at 6.5% has $100.00 × 0.065 = $6.50 of tax, for a total of $106.50. Going the other way, $106.50 ÷ 1.065 = $100.00 was the price before tax, and $106.50 ÷ $100.00 − 1 = 6.5% is the rate. Taking 6.5% off the total instead would give $99.58, which is too little: the tax is a share of the price, not of the total.
Sales tax in the United States
There is no federal sales tax. Each state sets its own rate, and in most states counties, cities and special districts add their own on top, so the rate can differ from one town to the next. Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon have no statewide sales tax, and Alaska allows only local ones. California has the highest state rate, 7.25%, and the highest combined averages are in Louisiana (10.13%), Tennessee (9.61%), Washington (9.57%), Arkansas (9.48%), and Alabama (9.46%).
The calculator has every state's rate plus its average local rate, and the full rate inside the limits of 64 large cities, such as Chicago (10.5%), Los Angeles (10.25%) and New York City (8.875%). Rates are as of October 2026. For an exact rate at an address, check your state's revenue department.
Sales tax rates by state
| State | State rate | Average local rate | Combined rate | Tax on $100.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4% | 5.46% | 9.46% | $9.46 |
| Alaska | 0% | 1.82% | 1.82% | $1.82 |
| Arizona | 5.6% | 2.94% | 8.54% | $8.54 |
| Arkansas | 6.5% | 2.98% | 9.48% | $9.48 |
| California | 7.25% | 1.78% | 9.03% | $9.03 |
| Colorado | 2.9% | 4.99% | 7.89% | $7.89 |
| Connecticut | 6.35% | 0% | 6.35% | $6.35 |
| Delaware | 0% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 |
| District of Columbia | 6% | 0% | 6% | $6.00 |
| Florida | 6% | 0.98% | 6.98% | $6.98 |
| Georgia | 4% | 3.56% | 7.56% | $7.56 |
| Hawaii | 4% | 0.5% | 4.5% | $4.50 |
| Idaho | 6% | 0.03% | 6.03% | $6.03 |
| Illinois | 6.25% | 2.73% | 8.98% | $8.98 |
| Indiana | 7% | 0% | 7% | $7.00 |
| Iowa | 6% | 0.94% | 6.94% | $6.94 |
| Kansas | 6.5% | 2.21% | 8.71% | $8.71 |
| Kentucky | 6% | 0% | 6% | $6.00 |
| Louisiana | 5% | 5.13% | 10.13% | $10.13 |
| Maine | 5.5% | 0% | 5.5% | $5.50 |
| Maryland | 6% | 0% | 6% | $6.00 |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | 0% | 6.25% | $6.25 |
| Michigan | 6% | 0% | 6% | $6.00 |
| Minnesota | 6.875% | 1.265% | 8.14% | $8.14 |
| Mississippi | 7% | 0.06% | 7.06% | $7.06 |
| Missouri | 4.225% | 4.215% | 8.44% | $8.44 |
| Montana | 0% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 |
| Nebraska | 5.5% | 1.48% | 6.98% | $6.98 |
| Nevada | 6.85% | 1.39% | 8.24% | $8.24 |
| New Hampshire | 0% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 |
| New Jersey | 6.625% | -0.025% | 6.6% | $6.60 |
| New Mexico | 4.875% | 2.805% | 7.68% | $7.68 |
| New York | 4% | 4.54% | 8.54% | $8.54 |
| North Carolina | 4.75% | 2.35% | 7.1% | $7.10 |
| North Dakota | 5% | 2.09% | 7.09% | $7.09 |
| Ohio | 5.75% | 1.54% | 7.29% | $7.29 |
| Oklahoma | 4.5% | 4.56% | 9.06% | $9.06 |
| Oregon | 0% | 0% | 0% | $0.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 0.34% | 6.34% | $6.34 |
| Rhode Island | 7% | 0% | 7% | $7.00 |
| South Carolina | 6% | 1.49% | 7.49% | $7.49 |
| South Dakota | 4.2% | 1.91% | 6.11% | $6.11 |
| Tennessee | 7% | 2.61% | 9.61% | $9.61 |
| Texas | 6.25% | 1.95% | 8.2% | $8.20 |
| Utah | 6.1% | 1.32% | 7.42% | $7.42 |
| Vermont | 6% | 0.43% | 6.43% | $6.43 |
| Virginia | 5.3% | 0.47% | 5.77% | $5.77 |
| Washington | 6.5% | 3.07% | 9.57% | $9.57 |
| West Virginia | 6% | 0.6% | 6.6% | $6.60 |
| Wisconsin | 5% | 0.72% | 5.72% | $5.72 |
| Wyoming | 4% | 1.39% | 5.39% | $5.39 |
Average local rates are weighted by population, as of October 2026. A negative local rate means that some areas, such as special zones, charge less than the state rate.
Sales tax in large cities
| City | Rate inside city limits | Tax on $100.00 |
|---|---|---|
| New York City, New York | 8.875% | $8.88 |
| Los Angeles, California | 10.25% | $10.25 |
| Chicago, Illinois | 10.5% | $10.50 |
| Houston, Texas | 8.25% | $8.25 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 9.1% | $9.10 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 8% | $8.00 |
| San Antonio, Texas | 8.25% | $8.25 |
| San Diego, California | 7.75% | $7.75 |
| Dallas, Texas | 8.25% | $8.25 |
| Seattle, Washington | 10.55% | $10.55 |
What is taxed
- Most goods are taxed at the full rate.
- Groceries are exempt or taxed at a lower rate in most states; prescription drugs are exempt almost everywhere.
- Some states exempt clothing (such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania), and many tax few services.
- Cars are usually taxed at the state rate, often with their own rules and fees.
Sales tax in Excel
With the price in A1 and the rate in B1 (as 0.065 or 6.5%), =A1*(1+B1) gives the total, =A1*B1 the tax, =A1/(1+B1) the price from a total in A1, and =A1/A2-1 the rate from a total in A1 and a price in A2. For the example they return $106.50, $6.50, $100.00 and 6.5%.
Deducting sales tax
If you itemize deductions on your federal return, you can deduct either state and local income taxes or sales taxes, within the SALT limit. Sales tax is usually the better choice in states with no income tax, or after a large purchase such as a car. The income tax calculator shows how itemized deductions change your tax.
Related calculators
The auto loan calculator adds sales tax, fees and a trade-in to a car loan, and the tip calculator works out the tip on a restaurant bill. For other percentages, such as a discount before tax, use the percentage calculator.