Finance
Sales Tax Calculator
Add or remove sales tax from any price.
Use the tool
Enter your values below. Inputs stay in your browser.
Instant result
Ready
Enter values and calculate
Your result will appear here.
Share this tool
Referencing this tool on a website?
Copy an attribution link. It is optional and does not change free access.
Transparent methodology
What the result includes—and what it does not
Built for anyone adding a tax rate they already know to a price, or recovering the pre-tax amount from a tax-inclusive total.
Calculation method
- 1Before tax mode treats the entered price as the pre-tax amount and computes the total as price × (1 + rate ÷ 100).
- 2Including tax mode treats the entered price as the total and computes the pre-tax amount as price ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100).
- 3Tax is always the total minus the pre-tax amount, taken on unrounded values before each figure is displayed to two decimal places.
- 4Because each line rounds on its own, the three displayed amounts can differ by a cent from each other on some inputs — the underlying arithmetic is exact.
Assumptions and limits
- The rate is whatever you type: there is no rate database and no lookup by address, ZIP code, or location.
- Nexus, registration thresholds, exemptions, reduced rates, and product or service taxability — including whether software or a SaaS subscription is taxable where you sell — are not evaluated.
- One rate is applied to the whole amount; compound or stacked taxes, shipping taxed at a different rate, and per-line-item rates are not supported.
- The currency selector changes the symbol and number format only and does not convert amounts.
Worked example
A $250 total that already includes 8.25% tax
Input: $250 price, 8.25% tax rate, and Price entered set to Including tax.
Output: Total price $250.00, tax $19.05, and pre-tax price $230.95.
Primary sources
- Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board — Rate and Boundary FilesRate files and ZIP-to-jurisdiction boundary files published by the Streamlined Sales Tax member states. It covers member states only, not every US jurisdiction, and this calculator does not read it.
- European Commission — VAT ratesOfficial EU framework: each member state sets the number and level of its own VAT rates within EU parameters, with per-country rates in the Taxes in Europe Database.
How to use it
Three steps. One clear answer.
- 1Enter or paste the values requested by the tool.
- 2Review the input units and choose any relevant options.
- 3Calculate, then copy or download the result you need.
Built for trust
Useful without the friction.
- No registration or paywall before your result.
- Responsive controls for phone, tablet, and desktop.
- Clear assumptions and warnings where estimates have limits.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate sales tax on a price?
Enter the pre-tax price and the rate, and leave Price entered on Before tax. The total is price × (1 + rate ÷ 100), and the Tax line is the difference between that total and the price you entered.
How do I find the price before tax from a total that already includes it?
Set Price entered to Including tax. The pre-tax amount is total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), not the total minus that percentage: $250 at 8.25% gives $230.95, while subtracting 8.25% would give $229.38.
Can I use this to work out sales tax on SaaS or software subscriptions?
Only if you already know the rate that applies. This tool cannot tell you whether a software subscription is taxable in a given state or country, or which rate applies, because that depends on the jurisdiction and on how the service is classified. Get that determination from the relevant tax authority first, then enter the rate here.
Does it know my state and local sales tax rate?
No. There is no rate database and no location lookup, so the rate is whatever you type. In the US a combined rate can include state, county, city and special-district components that differ by delivery address, so check the rate for the exact address before entering it.
Does this work for VAT or GST instead of sales tax?
The arithmetic is identical, so yes for adding or removing a single rate. It does not apply any VAT or GST rule such as reduced rates, reverse charge, or registration thresholds.
Can I use the result on an invoice or a tax return?
Treat it as a check rather than a filing. The arithmetic is exact for the rate you enter, but tax authorities set their own rounding rules, including whether tax is rounded per line or per invoice, and this tool does not apply them.
Keep solving
Related finance tools
Mortgage Calculator
Estimate monthly mortgage payments, total interest, and total repayment cost.
FinanceLoan Calculator
Calculate a loan payment schedule from principal, rate, and term.
FinanceCompound Interest Calculator
Project investment growth with regular compounding and contributions.
FinanceROI Calculator
Calculate return on investment and net return from what something cost and what it returned.
FinanceCurrency Converter
Convert major world currencies using current reference exchange rates.
FinanceVAT Calculator
Add or remove value-added tax and show the net and tax amounts.
Finance