Sales Tax Calculator

A sales tax calculator works the tax equation both directions: forward — price × (1 + rate) gives the register total ($49.99 at 8.25% → $54.11) — and reverse, extracting the tax from a tax-included total: pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate), so a $54.11 receipt at 8.25% contained $49.99 of goods and $4.12 of tax.

The reverse direction is the one done wrong constantly: subtracting 8.25% of the total overshoots, because the tax was computed on the smaller pre-tax amount. Dividing by 1.0825 is correct — the difference matters on every expense report and invoice reconciliation.

Enter a price and tax rate to get the tax amount and total — or enter a tax-included total to break out the pre-tax price and tax paid, with the correct divide-not-subtract math.

US context for the rate box: sales tax combines state + local rates, ranging from 0% (Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware; Alaska has no state rate) to combined rates above 9–10% (parts of Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington state cities). Your rate is the one at the point of sale — online sellers meanwhile face destination-based rules post-Wayfair, which is why business use of the reverse calculation (extracting tax from gross receipts per jurisdiction) is so common.

Note the US quirk that surprises visitors: shelf prices exclude tax — the register adds it — unlike VAT countries where displayed prices are final. Same math, opposite conventions; our VAT and GST calculators handle those systems' terminology.