How to use this calculator
- Choose Add tax to a price if you know the sticker price, or Remove tax from a total if you have a receipt total that already includes tax.
- Enter the price or total.
- Pick your state. Its statewide base rate fills in automatically.
- Enter your local rate (county, city and district taxes combined). Your receipt or your state revenue department’s rate lookup shows it. If you already know the full combined rate, choose Other / custom rate and type it in.
The result shows the tax, the total and the pre-tax price, and the table lists every state’s base rate with its average local add-on.
The sales tax formulas
Here r is the combined state and local rate as a decimal (8.25% = 0.0825).
Worked examples
Adding tax. A $1,200 laptop in a Texas city with the 6.25% state rate plus 2% local tax (8.25% combined): tax is $1,200 × 0.0825 = $99.00, and the total is $1,299.00.
Removing tax. Your receipt says $53.50 and the rate is 7%. The pre-tax price is $53.50 ÷ 1.07 = $50.00, so $3.50 was tax. The common mistake is to take 7% off the total ($53.50 × 0.93 = $49.76). That’s wrong because the tax was calculated on the smaller, pre-tax price, not on the total.
A bigger purchase. On a $30,000 car in New Jersey at 6.625%, sales tax adds $1,987.50. For large purchases, a percentage point of local tax is real money: each 1% is another $300 here. If you’re financing, the auto loan calculator lets you include it.
Sales tax rates by state, 2026
Statewide rates in effect from July 1, 2026, with population-weighted average local rates, from the Tax Foundation’s midyear 2026 report. No state changed its statewide rate between July and November 2026.
| State rate | Avg. local | Avg. combined | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest combined | |||
| Louisiana | 5% | 5.13% | 10.13% |
| Tennessee | 7% | 2.61% | 9.61% |
| Washington | 6.5% | 3.07% | 9.57% |
| Arkansas | 6.5% | 2.98% | 9.48% |
| Alabama | 4% | 5.46% | 9.46% |
| Lowest combined (with a sales tax) | |||
| Wyoming | 4% | 1.39% | 5.39% |
| Hawaii | 4% | 0.50% | 4.50% |
| Alaska | none | 1.82% | 1.82% |
The full 50-state table is in the calculator above. A few things to know when reading it:
- California (7.25%), Utah (6.1%) and Virginia (5.3%) include a mandatory statewide local add-on in their base rate.
- Colorado has the lowest nonzero state rate (2.9%), but local taxes average almost 5%, so combined rates are close to the national middle.
- Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota tax a broad range of services as well as goods. Hawaii’s is technically a general excise tax on businesses, which most pass on to customers.
- New Jersey’s average local rate is slightly negative because some urban enterprise zones charge half the state rate.
Tips for getting the rate right
- Use the rate for where you take delivery. Local rates can change from one side of a street to the other. For online orders, it’s usually the shipping address.
- Check what’s exempt. Most states exempt groceries or tax them at a lower rate, and many exempt prescription drugs. A few exempt some clothing.
- Watch for sales tax holidays. Several states drop sales tax on back-to-school items or emergency supplies for a few days a year.
- Budget the tax on big purchases. Cars, appliances and furniture can carry hundreds of dollars of tax. Add it before you compare prices or work out a loan.
Assumptions & limitations
- State rates are the general statewide rates. Many states use different rates for specific items (groceries, prepared food, vehicles, lodging), which aren’t shown here.
- Local rates aren’t filled in for you because they vary by address. The average local rates in the table are population-weighted averages, not the rate at any specific location.
- Results aren’t rounded to the cent until they’re displayed. Stores round tax on each receipt, so a total can differ by a cent.
- Use tax, excise taxes (fuel, alcohol, tobacco) and special district fees aren’t included.
Sources
- Tax Foundation: State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026
- Tax Foundation: State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026
Sales tax rules vary by state and by item. Check with your state’s department of revenue for the exact rate at your location.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Multiply the price by the tax rate as a decimal. For a $100 item at 8.25%, the tax is $100 × 0.0825 = $8.25, so you pay $108.25. To get the total in one step, multiply by 1 plus the rate, here 1.0825.
How do I remove sales tax from a total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the tax rate, not multiply by 1 minus the rate. A $53.50 receipt at 7% is $53.50 ÷ 1.07 = $50.00 before tax, so the tax was $3.50. Subtracting 7% of $53.50 would wrongly give $49.76.
Which states have no sales tax?
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no statewide sales tax. Alaska lets cities and boroughs charge their own, averaging about 1.8%. The other four have no general local sales tax, though some specific items like meals or lodging can still be taxed.
Which state has the highest sales tax?
California has the highest statewide rate at 7.25%. Once average local taxes are added, Louisiana has the highest combined rate, about 10.13%, followed by Tennessee, Washington, Arkansas and Alabama, all above 9.4%.
Why is my receipt's tax different from the state rate?
Most states let counties, cities and special districts add their own sales taxes on top of the state rate, so the rate at the register is the combined rate for that location. Some items, often groceries, prescription drugs or clothing, are also exempt or taxed at a lower rate.
Is sales tax charged on online purchases?
Yes, in most cases. Since the Supreme Court's 2018 Wayfair decision, every state with a sales tax requires larger online sellers to collect it, usually at the rate for the address the order ships to.
Updated November 2026. Results are estimates for educational purposes and depend on the inputs you provide.