Sales Tax Calculator

Add or remove sales tax

This calculator works two ways. Add tax takes a pre-tax price and shows the tax and the final total you'll pay at the register. Remove tax does the reverse: from a tax-inclusive total it backs out the original price and the tax portion — handy for bookkeeping, expense reports, or figuring out the "real" price of something.

The formulas

• Adding tax: tax = price × rate; total = price + tax. A $100 item at 7.25% becomes $107.25.
• Removing tax: price = total ÷ (1 + rate); tax = total − price. From a $107.25 total at 7.25%, the pre-tax price is $100.

Note that removing tax is not the same as subtracting the rate from the total — you have to divide, because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax amount, not the total.

Sales tax around the world

Rates vary widely. In the US, sales tax is added at checkout and combines state, county, and city rates — so the rate differs from town to town, and prices on the shelf are usually shown pre-tax. In much of the world, a value-added tax (VAT) or goods-and-services tax (GST) is already baked into the displayed price, which is when "remove tax" is most useful. Enter whatever rate applies to you.

FAQ

What rate should I use?

Use your local combined rate. In the US that's your state rate plus any local add-ons (your receipt shows the exact figure). Elsewhere, use your country's VAT/GST rate.

Is this the same as a VAT calculator?

The math is identical — a percentage added to or removed from a price. "Sales tax" and "VAT/GST" are just different names and rates for the same calculation.

Is this sales tax calculator free, and is my data private?

Yes — it's free with no sign-up, and the math runs entirely in your browser. The prices and rates you enter are never uploaded or stored anywhere.

How do I find the pre-tax price from a total?

Use the "Remove tax" mode. It divides the total by 1 plus the rate — not by simply subtracting the rate — because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax amount. For a $107.25 total at 7.25%, that gives a pre-tax price of $100.

Why can't I just subtract the tax rate from the total?

Because the tax was applied to the pre-tax price, not to the total. Subtracting 7.25% of the total removes too much; you have to divide by 1.0725 instead. The calculator handles this for you in the "Remove tax" mode.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. It's responsive and runs in any phone or tablet browser, so you can add or remove tax at the register or while doing expenses on the go.