Sales Tax Calculator

US retail sales tax is a percentage added to a taxable subtotal at checkout — unlike VAT or GST, which are often baked into displayed prices abroad. Tax owed = subtotal × (rate ÷ 100), and total price = subtotal + tax. Combined state, county, city, and special-district rates can push totals above 10% in some metros while other states charge no sales tax at all on most goods.

This calculator does not geolocate your rate. Enter the combined percentage your receipt, city finance page, or point-of-sale system uses. Texas might show 8.25% in Austin while Oregon shows 0% on many goods — the tool only multiplies what you type.

Worked example with defaults: a $50 subtotal at 8.25% tax produces $50 × 0.0825 = $4.13 tax and a $54.13 total. If you had a 20% coupon first, run the discount on $50 to get a $40 subtotal, then apply 8.25% tax to $40 ($3.30 tax, $43.30 total). Tax base matters as much as the rate.

Online and marketplace purchases add complexity. Remote sellers collect tax based on nexus rules and your ship-to address, which may differ from the rate at a brick-and-mortar store in the same city. Subscription renewals and digital goods can be taxed differently than physical merchandise in some states.

Common mistakes include using the state rate alone when the local combined rate is higher, taxing groceries that are exempt in your state, and forgetting that some cities tax restaurant meals at a higher prepared-food rate than grocery items. Always match product category rules — this tool treats the subtotal as fully taxable.

Exemptions, resale certificates, and holidays (tax-free weekends on school supplies, for example) are not modeled here. During a holiday, temporarily set rate to 0% on qualifying items only — you still need to know which SKUs qualify.

Use tax for budgeting a cart: sum item prices after discounts, run subtotal through this tool, then add tip on a restaurant subtotal separately — tax and tip apply to different bases and should not be merged into one rate.

Resellers with sales tax nexus in multiple states may remit varying rates — shoppers still pay the rate at delivery address; this consumer tool does not file returns.

Tourism districts sometimes levy hospitality taxes on hotels and restaurants above standard sales tax — enter the combined percent from the receipt, not the state base alone.

Gift cards and prepaid services may be taxed differently at purchase versus redemption depending on state — this model assumes tax on a goods subtotal at checkout.

Use tax holidays for school supplies and clothing sometimes waive tax on items under a dollar cap — set rate to 0% only when your state published list includes your item.

Marketplace facilitators like large online platforms often collect tax for third-party sellers — your receipt still shows the combined rate this tool expects in the rate field.

Tips on restaurant meals are usually taxed on food subtotal only, then tip is added after tax — do not apply sales tax rate to the tip amount itself.

B2B purchases with resale certificates may show zero tax at checkout — consumer shoppers should still use their local rate in this estimate tool.

Excise taxes on gasoline and alcohol are often embedded in the pump or shelf price — this tool adds sales tax on top of the subtotal you enter, not hidden excise already in fuel price.

Digital goods taxation varies by state and platform — enter the rate your app store or seller charged on a recent similar purchase if unsure.

Limits: planning estimate only, not tax filing advice. Use official state department of revenue publications for filing. This page uses a simple percent-on-subtotal model and does not handle use tax, excise tax, or multi-jurisdiction allocation for businesses.