Quick lookup
Sales tax on common amounts (by rate)
Quick reference for the tax amount and total at common US/global rates. Add this to the pre-tax price for the final cost.
| Pre-tax amount | 5% (tax / total) | 7.25% (tax / total) | 10% (tax / total) | 20% VAT (tax / total) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.50 / $10.50 | $0.73 / $10.73 | $1.00 / $11.00 | $2.00 / $12.00 |
| $25 | $1.25 / $26.25 | $1.81 / $26.81 | $2.50 / $27.50 | $5.00 / $30.00 |
| $50 | $2.50 / $52.50 | $3.63 / $53.63 | $5.00 / $55.00 | $10.00 / $60.00 |
| $100 | $5.00 / $105.00 | $7.25 / $107.25 | $10.00 / $110.00 | $20.00 / $120.00 |
| $250 | $12.50 / $262.50 | $18.13 / $268.13 | $25.00 / $275.00 | $50.00 / $300.00 |
| $500 | $25.00 / $525.00 | $36.25 / $536.25 | $50.00 / $550.00 | $100.00 / $600.00 |
| $1,000 | $50.00 / $1,050.00 | $72.50 / $1,072.50 | $100.00 / $1,100.00 | $200.00 / $1,200.00 |
US shelf prices are pre-tax; tax is added at checkout. Most of the world includes VAT/GST in the displayed price. Use the reverse mode to extract the tax from a tax-inclusive total.
Overview
What this calculator does
The sales tax calculator works two ways. 'Add tax' takes a pre-tax price and adds the tax to show the total you'll pay. 'Remove tax' (reverse) takes a tax-inclusive total and works backward to show the pre-tax amount and the tax portion - useful for expense reports and bookkeeping when you only have the final total.
The math
The formulas
Adding tax
total = price × (1 + rate). For 8% on $100: 100 × 1.08 = $108. The tax alone is 100 × 0.08 = $8.
Removing tax (reverse)
pre-tax = total / (1 + rate). From a $108 total at 8%: 108 / 1.08 = $100, so the tax was $8. A common mistake is multiplying the total by the rate - that overstates the tax because the total already includes it.
Around the world
Sales tax vs VAT vs GST
US sales tax
Added at the final point of sale. Varies by state (0-7.25% base) plus local additions. Shelf prices are pre-tax.
UK / EU VAT
Value Added Tax, collected at each production stage. UK standard 20%, reduced 5%, zero on essentials. Displayed prices include VAT.
Canada GST/HST
5% federal GST, combined with provincial tax into HST in some provinces (13-15%). Quebec adds QST separately.
Australia GST
Flat 10% on most goods and services. Included in displayed prices.
India GST
Multi-slab: 0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, 28% depending on the product category. Included in displayed prices.
Gulf VAT
UAE and Saudi Arabia introduced VAT recently (5% UAE, 15% Saudi). A relatively new system in the region.
The combined-rate trap
US sales tax is more complicated than it looks
The 'state rate' is rarely what you actually pay. Most US localities stack city, county, and special-district taxes on top of the state base. Examples:
- California: 7.25% state base, but combined rates reach 10.75% in some cities (e.g., parts of LA County)
- Illinois: 6.25% state, but Chicago's combined rate is 10.25%
- Colorado: 2.9% state - one of the lowest - but Denver combined is around 8.81%
- Five states have NO state sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon (though Alaska allows local taxes)
Check your combined rate
Behind the scenes
Privacy and how it runs
Runs in your browser
Common questions
How do I figure out the tax from a total?
Divide the total by (1 + tax rate) to get the pre-tax amount, then subtract. From $53.63 at 7.25%: 53.63 / 1.0725 = $50 pre-tax, $3.63 tax. Use the reverse mode and it's done for you.
Is sales tax charged on the discounted price?
Yes - in the US, sales tax applies to the price you actually pay after discounts and coupons, not the original price. Apply the discount first, then tax the result.
Do I pay sales tax on online purchases?
In the US, generally yes since the 2018 Wayfair Supreme Court decision - most online retailers now collect sales tax based on your shipping address. Before 2018, many online purchases were effectively tax-free.
What items are tax-exempt?
Varies by jurisdiction. Many US states exempt groceries, prescription drugs, and sometimes clothing. The UK zero-rates most food and children's clothes. Check local rules - this calculator applies a flat rate to whatever amount you enter.
How is VAT different from sales tax for the buyer?
For the final consumer, the end price math is identical. The difference is administrative: VAT is collected in stages through the supply chain (businesses reclaim what they paid), while US sales tax is collected only at the final sale. As a shopper, you just see the included or added percentage.
Quick lookup
Common prices plus sales tax
Popular shelf prices with the tax added at two typical US rates. Reach for this when you want to know what a price like $499 or $1,499.99 plus tax really costs at checkout.
| Price | +7% tax | +8.25% tax |
|---|---|---|
| $99 | $105.93 | $107.17 |
| $199 | $212.93 | $215.42 |
| $499 | $533.93 | $540.17 |
| $999 | $1,068.93 | $1,081.42 |
| $1,499.99 | $1,604.99 | $1,623.74 |
Your local combined rate may differ from these two. Enter the exact price and rate above to get the total for your ZIP code.
Working backward
Reverse sales tax: find the price before tax
Reverse sales tax means starting from a tax-inclusive total and finding the price before tax. The rule is one division: divide the total by (1 + rate). For a $540 total at 8%: 540 / 1.08 = 500 pre-tax, which leaves 540 - 500 = 40 in tax.
The tempting shortcut is to take 8% of the $540 total and subtract it, but that gives the wrong answer. 8% of $540 is $43.20, so you would land on $496.80 instead of $500. The reason: the 8% tax was charged on the $500 pre-tax price, not on the $540 total. Because the total already includes the tax, taking the percentage of the total always overstates it. Dividing by (1 + rate) is the only way to strip it out cleanly.
Worked example
What is $499 plus tax?
It depends on your rate, since US shelf prices are pre-tax and the tax is added at checkout. At 7% the tax is 499 × 0.07 = 34.93, so $499 plus tax is 499 × 1.07 = 533.93. At an 8.25% combined rate it is 499 × 1.0825 = 540.17, a tax of $41.17. For a rounder 10% rate the total would be $548.90.
The same method scales to any price. $1,499.99 plus tax is 1499.99 × 1.07 = 1604.99 at 7% and 1499.99 × 1.0825 = 1623.74 at 8.25%. Multiply the price by (1 + your rate) and you have the checkout total.
Reverse and pre-tax questions
How do I reverse sales tax?
Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + rate). From a $107.17 total at 8.25%: 107.17 / 1.0825 = 99 pre-tax, so the tax was $8.17. Do not multiply the total by the rate and subtract, since the total already contains the tax and that method overstates it. Switch the calculator to reverse mode and it runs this division for you.
What is $499 plus tax?
Multiply $499 by (1 + your rate). At 7% that is $533.93, and at an 8.25% combined rate it is $540.17. Pick your own local rate above to get the exact total, because the added percentage varies by state and city.
How do I find the price before tax?
Take the final total and divide by (1 + rate). A $540 total at 8% gives 540 / 1.08 = 500 before tax, with $40 of tax. This is the number you want for expense reports and bookkeeping when the receipt only shows the tax-inclusive total.
What is $1,499.99 plus tax?
At 7% it is 1499.99 × 1.07 = 1604.99, and at 8.25% it is 1499.99 × 1.0825 = 1623.74. The larger the price, the more your exact local rate matters, so confirm the combined rate for your ZIP code before budgeting.
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Last reviewed: · Methodology based on US building code standards, contractor pricing surveys, and manufacturer specifications.