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CalcSmart › Sales Tax Calculator

Sales Tax Calculator — Add or Extract Tax Instantly

Calculate the final price including sales tax, or extract the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total. Works for any tax rate worldwide.

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Tax amount—
Pre-tax price—
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How Sales Tax Works

Sales tax is a consumption tax imposed by governments on the sale of goods and services. In the US, there is no federal sales tax — rates are set by states, counties, and cities, and can vary significantly. The combined rate in some areas exceeds 10%.

US Sales Tax Rates by State (Approximate)

Note: Most states add local/county taxes on top of the state rate. Always check the exact combined rate for your location.

Tax-Inclusive vs Tax-Exclusive Pricing

Tax-exclusive (most common in US): price shown is before tax, tax added at checkout. Tax-inclusive (common in Europe): price shown already includes tax (VAT). Use the "Extract Tax" mode to find the pre-tax price from a tax-inclusive total.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the sales tax rate in my city?+
The most reliable method is to check your state's department of revenue website, which typically has a lookup tool by zip code. You can also find combined (state + county + city) rates on the Sales Tax Institute website or by searching "[your city] sales tax rate." Rates change periodically, so always verify before business use.
Is sales tax the same as VAT?+
No — they're collected differently. Sales tax is collected only at the final point of sale to the consumer. VAT (Value Added Tax, used in Europe, Canada, Australia) is collected at each stage of production and included in the price. The consumer effectively pays VAT through the tax-inclusive price, while US consumers see sales tax added separately at checkout.
Are groceries and food taxed?+
It depends on the state. About 13 US states fully exempt groceries from sales tax. Others tax groceries at a reduced rate. Prepared food (restaurant meals, hot deli items) is almost always taxable. Grocery exemptions typically apply to unprepared food items like produce, meat, dairy, and packaged goods intended for home preparation.
How do I calculate tax on a tip?+
Technically, sales tax applies to the food and drinks only, not to the tip (since a tip is a voluntary payment to the server, not a purchase). In practice, if sales tax is charged on the pre-tip subtotal and you tip based on the post-tax total, you're slightly over-tipping. Most people tip on the pre-tax amount, though tipping on the total is also common.

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