WorldCalcs

Sales Tax Calculator

Add sales tax to a price, or work out the pre-tax amount from a tax-included total.

Reviewed by the WorldCalcs team · Methodology · Last reviewed: July 2026

Total (with tax)

214.50

Sales tax

14.50

Amount before tax

200.00

This is a general estimate for information only — confirm the exact tax rate and amount with the retailer or your local tax authority. See our full disclaimer.

What is a sales tax calculator?

A sales tax calculator works out how much tax is added to a purchase and what the final price will be. You enter the amount and your own local tax rate, and the calculator does the rest. It also works in reverse: give it a tax-included total and it finds the original price before tax. Because you type in the rate yourself, it works for any state, county, city, or country — and it never assumes a rate for you.

How sales tax is calculated

Adding tax is a single multiplication. Write the rate as a decimal by dividing the percent by 100, multiply it by the amount to get the tax, then add the tax to the amount:

  • Sales tax = Amount × (Rate ÷ 100)
  • Total = Amount + Sales tax

Removing tax runs the same steps backwards. To pull the pre-tax price out of a tax-included total, divide by one plus the rate:

  • Price before tax = Total ÷ (1 + Rate ÷ 100)
  • Sales tax = Total − Price before tax

Example

On a $200 item with a 7.25% sales tax rate, the tax is 200 × 0.0725 = $14.50, so the total is $214.50. Working the other way, a $214.50 tax-included total at 7.25% gives 214.50 ÷ 1.0725 = $200.00 before tax — the same $14.50 of tax, found in reverse.

Related: work out any percentage in the Percentage Calculator, price a sale in the Discount Calculator, and set retail prices with the Margin Calculator or Markup Calculator.

All calculations happen in your browser. Nothing is sent, stored, or tracked.

Results are estimates and may contain errors — for general information only, not professional advice. Always verify before relying on them. Disclaimer

How to use

Pick a mode. To add tax, enter the pre-tax amount and your local tax rate. To remove tax, enter the tax-included total and the rate — the calculator recovers the price before tax.

Rates vary by location and change over time, so type in your current local rate. The math works the same for any currency.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate sales tax?+

Multiply the price by the tax rate written as a decimal (divide the percent by 100). $50 at 8% is 50 × 0.08 = $4 in tax, for a $54 total.

How do I remove sales tax from a total?+

Divide the tax-included total by (1 + rate ÷ 100). A $54 total at 8% is 54 ÷ 1.08 = $50 before tax.

What is the sales tax rate where I live?+

Rates vary by country, state, county, and city, and they change over time, so enter your own current local rate. This calculator never assumes a rate for you.

Is sales tax added to the listed price?+

In the United States, sales tax is usually added at the register, so the shelf price is before tax. In many other countries the tax (VAT or GST) is already inside the displayed price — use "Remove sales tax" for those.

Can I use this as a VAT or GST calculator?+

Yes. VAT and GST use the same arithmetic — just enter your VAT or GST rate in the tax-rate field.

How do I find the tax rate from a price and total?+

Divide the tax by the pre-tax price and multiply by 100. If the tax is $4 on a $50 item, the rate is 4 ÷ 50 × 100 = 8%.

Does a higher price mean more tax?+

Yes. Sales tax is a percentage, so the tax amount rises in proportion to the price while the rate itself stays the same.

Does this work in any currency?+

Yes. The math only uses your amount and your rate, with no currency conversion, so it is correct in dollars, euros, pounds, or any other currency.

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