Sales Tax Calculator by State

Know the tax before you hit the register

U.S. sales tax is a state base plus, in most places, a city or county add-on. A $100 cart in Oregon stays $100. The same cart in Louisiana can pick up more than $10. This sales tax calculator applies a 2026 state rate and, optionally, that state’s average local rate so you can plan a purchase without a ZIP lookup.

It is a planning tool, not a tax engine. Destination-based checkout software uses the buyer’s address. We use one combined average per state so the page stays fast and private.

How the rate is built

Tax equals pre-tax price times the selected percent. Uncheck “average local” to see only the statewide rate—useful in Indiana, Kentucky, or Maryland, where the state rate is the whole story for most receipts. Leave it on in Alabama, Louisiana, or Colorado, where locals often rival the state rate.

Hawaii’s 4% figure is a general excise tax, which vendors usually pass through like a sales tax. New Jersey’s published average local is essentially zero outside a few special zones.

How to use it

Enter the pre-tax amount, pick the state where the sale is sourced (usually the buyer’s state for remote sales), and read tax plus total. If you know your city’s extra rate is 2% instead of the average, you can approximate by using the percentage calculator on the extra slice—or treat this number as a band, not a penny-perfect invoice.

For a restaurant bill with tip, tax and tip are different lines. Sales tax is on the food; tip is a percent you choose. Use this page for the tax line and the tip calculator for gratuity.

Examples

A $100 taxable item in Texas at 6.25% state plus about 1.95% average local is roughly $8.20 of tax and $108.20 due. Oregon on the same $100 is $0. Tennessee’s high combined average (about 9.61%) puts about $7.69 on an $80 ticket.

A $1,200 furniture order into California at 7.25% plus average local near 1.78% is about $108 of tax. San Francisco or Los Angeles districts can run higher than that average.

What this will not do

It will not look up a ZIP, apply grocery exemptions, or file a sales-tax return. Marketplace platforms often collect for you; that does not change the rate the customer sees.

If you are comparing take-home pay instead of a purchase, use the paycheck calculator. Sales tax hits spending. Income tax hits the check.

Typical examples

Frequently asked questions

Which states have no sales tax?

Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no state or local general sales tax in this table. Alaska has no state rate but local boroughs do—this tool uses a 1.82% average local figure for Alaska.

Why is the rate different from my receipt?

Local rates vary by city and county. This calculator uses a statewide average local add-on, not your ZIP code. A Dallas ticket and a rural Texas ticket will not match the same combined number.

Is the tax added to the price or taken from it?

This page adds tax on top of the pre-tax price: tax = price × rate. Some people work backwards from a total; that reverse formula is total ÷ (1 + rate).

Do groceries use this rate?

Often not. Many states exempt or reduce tax on food, prescription drugs, or clothing. Confirm the category before you treat this as a checkout total.

What year are the rates from?

State rates and average local rates follow midyear 2026 Tax Foundation-style combined figures. Locals change more often than state rates.