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Finance · Taxes

Sales Tax Calculator

Enter a pre-tax amount and your local combined tax rate to see the sales tax and the total price. Sales tax rates vary by state, province, and city, so enter the combined rate that applies where you are buying.

Methodology reviewed Jul 14, 20262 primary sourcesHow it worksInputs stay on this device
Your inputs

Enter the amount and rate

The price before tax, from $0 through $1 billion.

Rates vary by state, province, and city — enter your local combined rate, from 0% through 40%.

Your inputs are calculated locally and are not stored.
Total with tax$270.63

$250.00 plus $20.63 in sales tax at 8.25%.

Tax amount
$20.63
Pre-tax amount
$250.00
Formula & methodology

How sales tax is calculated

Sales tax is a percentage of the pre-tax amount. The tax amount is the pre-tax amount multiplied by the tax rate, and the total is the pre-tax amount plus that tax. Because US sales tax is often a combination of state, county, and city rates — and Canada layers GST with provincial sales tax or a combined HST — you enter the single combined rate that applies to your purchase.

Tax amount = Amount × (Rate ÷ 100)
Total = Amount + Tax amount
Amount
The pre-tax price
Rate
Your combined sales tax rate, as a percent
Worked example

$250 at an 8.25% combined rate

Suppose the pre-tax amount is $250 and your local combined sales tax rate is 8.25%. The tax amount is $250 × 0.0825, which is $20.63. Adding that to the pre-tax amount gives a total of $270.63.

This is a straightforward calculation from the values you enter. It does not look up local rates, and it is not tax advice.

Assumptions

What this calculator assumes

  • You enter a single combined rate — this tool does not look up or add state, county, or city rates for you.
  • Tax is applied to the full pre-tax amount, with no exemptions, caps, or tax-free thresholds modeled.
  • For Canada, enter your combined GST plus provincial sales tax, or the HST rate for your province.
  • Money values are rounded to the nearest cent for display.
Common questions

Sales tax FAQ

What rate should I enter?

Enter the total combined rate for the location of the sale. In the US that is often the state rate plus county and city add-ons; in Canada it is GST plus any provincial sales tax, or the single HST rate. Your receipt or your revenue authority’s website will show the applicable rate.

Does this handle tax-inclusive prices?

No. This calculator adds tax on top of a pre-tax amount. If a price already includes tax and you want to back out the tax, that is a different, reverse calculation.

Primary sources

Sources and review notes

  1. U.S. Internal Revenue Service — Sales Tax Deduction information
  2. Government of Canada — GST/HST rates by province

Methodology last checked Jul 14, 2026. Formula implementation is covered by deterministic unit tests. No tax professional review is claimed yet.