Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax on any purchase. Find the total price including tax, or reverse-calculate the pre-tax price from a total.
This calculator applies a sales tax rate to a price two ways at once. Reading the price you enter as a pre-tax amount, it multiplies by the tax rate to get Sales Tax Amount (line 7, price * taxRate) and adds that to get Total Price (line 8). Reading the same entered amount as if it were already a tax-included total, it works backward to find Pre-Tax Price (if total) by dividing by (1 + taxRate) (line 11), and Tax Portion (if total) as the difference between the two (line 12). Price has the largest effect on every output because it's a direct linear multiplier throughout, while the tax rate's effect is smaller on Total Price and Pre-Tax Price specifically -- adding a modest tax rate only nudges those totals a little relative to a full price change. Sales Tax Amount, however, is a straight product of price and tax rate, so the two move it by an equally-sized share when each is changed by the same percentage. This calculator applies one flat rate you supply; it does not know your actual state or local sales tax rate, and it does not model tax-exempt items, use tax, or jurisdictions that tax shipping or services differently from goods.
Tax Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates based on general tax rules and may not reflect your specific situation. Tax laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Consult a qualified tax professional or CPA for advice tailored to your circumstances.
Inputs
Results
Total Price
$108.25
≈ 7 movie tickets
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the price of the item before tax.
- Enter the applicable sales tax rate for your state and city (U.S. averages range from 0% to 10%+).
- The Total Price field shows the final amount you'll pay at checkout.
- If you already know the total price with tax included, the Pre-Tax Price section works backward to show you the pre-tax amount.
How the result changes with Price Before Tax
| Price Before Tax | Total Price |
|---|---|
| $1,000,000.00 | $1,082,500.00 |
| $3,500,000.00 | $3,788,750.00 |
| $6,500,000.00 | $7,036,250.00 |
| $9,000,000.00 | $9,742,500.00 |
What each input means
- Price Before Tax
- The purchase price of the item.
- Sales Tax Rate
- Applicable tax rate as a percentage.
What each result means
- Pre-Tax Price (if total)
- If the entered price IS the total, this is the pre-tax amount.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input ParametersPrice Before Tax = 100, Sales Tax Rate = 8.25 = 2 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total PriceTotal Price108.25 = $108.25
- Calculate Sales Tax AmountSales Tax Amount8.25 = $8.25
- Calculate Pre-Tax PricePre-Tax Price92.38 = $92.38
Engine last updated .
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the price matter more than the tax rate for my total?
Total Price is price * (1 + taxRate), and at a typical tax rate under 10%, the (1 + taxRate) factor stays close to 1 -- so a given percentage change in price moves the total by roughly that same percentage, while an equal percentage change in the tax rate moves it by only a small fraction of that, since the rate itself is a small number added to 1.
Do price and tax rate affect the Sales Tax Amount equally?
Yes, essentially. Sales Tax Amount is computed as price * taxRate (line 7), a straight product of the two, so a given percentage increase in either price or the tax rate produces the same percentage increase in the tax amount -- neither input has a structural advantage over the other in this particular calculation.
How does the reverse calculation work if I already know the total?
Pre-Tax Price (if total) divides your entered amount by (1 + taxRate) (line 11), undoing the tax-inclusive markup to recover what the pre-tax price would have been if your number were the final total rather than the starting price. Tax Portion (if total) is simply the difference between the entered amount and that recovered pre-tax price (line 12).
What isn't included in this sales tax calculation?
This calculator applies one flat percentage rate that you supply -- it has no knowledge of your actual state, county, or city sales tax rate, and it doesn't account for tax-exempt categories, use tax on out-of-state purchases, or jurisdictions that apply different rates to services, shipping, or specific product categories.
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your federal income tax, FICA taxes, effective tax rate, and take-home pay based on your filing status and deductions.
Budgeting & Personal FinanceTip Calculator
Quickly calculate the tip amount and split the bill among any number of people.
Tax & AccountingTax Refund Calculator
Estimate your tax refund or amount owed. Calculate based on income, filing status, withholdings, deductions, and credits.
Tax & AccountingTax Planner Calculator
Federal & state tax, capital gains, SE tax, refund estimate
Government FinanceSales Tax Revenue Calculator
Project sales tax revenue from retail sales with exemptions and growth rate projections.
More in Tax & Accounting.