How this sales tax calculator works
Provide any two of: before-tax price, sales tax rate (%), and after-tax total. The missing value is computed using standard retail sales tax math (tax applied once on the pre-tax amount): after = before × (1 + rate/100), before = after ÷ (1 + rate/100), or rate = (after − before) ÷ before × 100.
What is sales tax?
Sales tax is a consumption tax on retail sales of goods and certain services. The seller collects it from the buyer and remits it to state and local authorities. In the U.S. there is no federal sales tax; rates and exemptions vary by state and locality. Many other countries use VAT or GST instead.
US sales tax by state — reference table
Five states have no statewide sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska and some other states still allow local taxes. The table lists typical state base rates and approximate maximum combined rates where local add-ons apply. Always confirm the exact rate for your address on your state or local revenue site before relying on these figures for compliance.
| State / territory | General state rate | Approx. max with local |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 4% | 13.5% |
| Alaska (AK) | 0% | 7% |
| Arizona (AZ) | 5.6% | 10.725% |
| Arkansas (AR) | 6.5% | 11.625% |
| California (CA) | 7.25% | 10.5% |
| Colorado (CO) | 2.9% | 10% |
| Connecticut (CT) | 6.35% | 6.35% |
| Delaware (DE) | 0% | 0% |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 6% | 6% |
| Florida (FL) | 6% | 7.5% |
| Georgia (GA) | 4% | 8% |
| Guam (GU) | 4% | 4% |
| Hawaii (HI) | 4.166% | 4.712% |
| Idaho (ID) | 6% | 8.5% |
| Illinois (IL) | 6.25% | 10.25% |
| Indiana (IN) | 7% | 7% |
| Iowa (IA) | 6% | 7% |
| Kansas (KS) | 6.5% | 11.6% |
| Kentucky (KY) | 6% | 6% |
| Louisiana (LA) | 4.45% | 11.45% |
| Maine (ME) | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Maryland (MD) | 6% | 6% |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Michigan (MI) | 6% | 6% |
| Minnesota (MN) | 6.875% | 7.875% |
| Mississippi (MS) | 7% | 7.25% |
| Missouri (MO) | 4.225% | 10.85% |
| Montana (MT) | 0% | 0% |
| Nebraska (NE) | 5.5% | 7.5% |
| Nevada (NV) | 6.85% | 8.375% |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 0% | 0% |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 6.625% | 12.625% |
| New Mexico (NM) | 5.125% | 8.688% |
| New York (NY) | 4% | 8.875% |
| North Carolina (NC) | 4.75% | 7.5% |
| North Dakota (ND) | 5% | 8% |
| Ohio (OH) | 5.75% | 8% |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 4.5% | 11% |
| Oregon (OR) | 0% | 0% |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 6% | 8% |
| Puerto Rico (PR) | 10.5% | 11.5% |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 7% | 7% |
| South Carolina (SC) | 6% | 9% |
| South Dakota (SD) | 4% | 6% |
| Tennessee (TN) | 7% | 9.75% |
| Texas (TX) | 6.25% | 8.25% |
| Utah (UT) | 6.1% | 8.35% |
| Vermont (VT) | 6% | 7% |
| Virginia (VA) | 5.3% | 7% |
| Washington (WA) | 6.5% | 10.6% |
| West Virginia (WV) | 6% | 7% |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 5% | 7.9% |
| Wyoming (WY) | 4% | 6% |
State vs local layers
Your checkout total often combines state, county, city, and special-district rates. Example: California's state base is 7.25%, but a city like Los Angeles can push the combined rate above 10%. The dropdown in the calculator only fills the state reference column — add local percentages manually when you know them.
Exemptions and holidays
Groceries, prescriptions, clothing, and other items may be exempt or taxed differently depending on the state. Many states run short sales tax holidays (e.g. back-to-school). Rules change often — verify with official guidance.
Deducting sales tax on federal returns
You can deduct sales tax only if you itemize and choose to deduct sales tax instead of state income tax (not both). Most filers take the standard deduction. Large purchases can make sales tax deduction worth modeling — see Income Tax Calculator for a broad federal estimate, and a tax professional for itemization.
VAT and GST
VAT is charged at multiple stages of production; businesses usually reclaim tax on inputs. GST behaves similarly in countries like Canada, Australia, and India. Listed prices abroad often include VAT; in the U.S. shelf prices are usually pre-tax and tax is added at checkout.
Formulas
- After tax = Before tax × (1 + rate/100)
- Before tax = After tax ÷ (1 + rate/100)
- Rate % = (After tax − Before tax) ÷ Before tax × 100