Sales Tax Calculator

What is the Sales Tax Calculator?

Sales tax is one of those things that can catch you off guard, especially when you're budgeting for a big purchase. This calculator adds sales tax to a price — or works backwards to strip it out — so you know the exact total before you swipe your card. It's handy for online shoppers, small business owners invoicing customers, and travelers buying in an unfamiliar state. CalciHub's version handles both directions: add tax to a pre-tax price, or find the original price if you know the total with tax included.

How Does It Work?

The math is straightforward percentage arithmetic applied in one of two directions.

Adding tax: Total = Price × (1 + Tax Rate)

Removing tax: Original Price = Total ÷ (1 + Tax Rate)

Price = The item's listed pre-tax price

Tax Rate = State/local sales tax rate as a decimal (e.g., 8.5% = 0.085)

Total = Final amount including tax

How to Use CalciHub's Sales Tax Calculator

1. Enter the item price or the total paid (depending on which direction you need).

2. Input the sales tax rate for your state or city.

3. Select whether you're calculating "add tax" or "remove tax."

4. Click Calculate to see the result.

Tip: US sales tax rates vary by state and sometimes by city or county. California's base rate is 7.25% but can be as high as 10.75% in some areas — always check your local rate for accuracy.

A Quick Example

Mike is buying a new laptop in Nashville, Tennessee. The laptop is listed at $1,199 and Tennessee's sales tax rate is 9.75%.

Item price: $1,199.00

Sales tax rate: 9.75%

Sales tax amount: $116.90

Total price: $1,315.90

Mike budgeted $1,250 for the laptop and is now $65 short. He uses the calculator beforehand next time to avoid this kind of surprise at checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions