How the calculator works
- Your state: the calculator starts with the state rate and the state’s average local rate, which together make the combined rate most people pay.
- Your own rate: if you know your city’s exact rate, from a receipt or your city’s website, enter it under More options.
- Add or remove tax: add sales tax to a price, or work out how much of a total was tax.
Highest and lowest sales tax states
| Highest | State | Local (average) | Combined | On $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 5.00% | 5.13% | 10.13% | $101.30 |
| Tennessee | 7.00% | 2.61% | 9.61% | $96.10 |
| Washington | 6.50% | 3.07% | 9.57% | $95.70 |
| Arkansas | 6.50% | 2.98% | 9.48% | $94.80 |
| Alabama | 4.00% | 5.46% | 9.46% | $94.60 |
| Lowest, with a sales tax | State | Local (average) | Combined | On $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 0.00% | 1.82% | 1.82% | $18.20 |
| Hawaii | 4.00% | 0.50% | 4.50% | $45.00 |
| Wyoming | 4.00% | 1.39% | 5.39% | $53.90 |
| Maine | 5.50% | – | 5.50% | $55.00 |
| Wisconsin | 5.00% | 0.72% | 5.72% | $57.20 |
Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no general sales tax. Combined rates add each state's rate to its population-weighted average local rate, so your town's rate may differ.
Click a state for its own calculator, with its rules on groceries.
Working it out
- Adding tax: price × (1 + your combined rate), for example × 1.082 in Texas
- Removing tax: total ÷ (1 + your combined rate)
Sales tax is charged on the price before tax, and each part (state and local) is worked out on the same price, so the rates simply add up.
Example: in Texas, with a combined rate of 8.20%, a $100 item costs $108.20, and a $1,000 one $1,082. Going the other way, a receipt total of $108.20 is $100 of goods and $8.20 of tax: $108.20 ÷ 1.082.
Why rates differ so much
States set their own rate, and cities, counties and special districts can add theirs on top, so the combined rate can change from one town to the next. Some states with a low state rate have high local rates, and the other way round. The state with the highest state rate isn’t the one with the highest combined rate: California’s 7.25% is the highest state rate, but Louisiana’s combined rate, about 10.13% on average, is higher.
Groceries and other exemptions
In most states groceries are exempt, but a few tax them, often at a reduced rate, including Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah. Each state page shows its rule. States also treat clothing, medicine and services differently, so check your state’s rules for a big purchase.
Big purchases
On a car, sales tax can add thousands of dollars, and it’s often added to the loan: see the car loan calculator. Sales tax also counts toward the deduction for state and local taxes if you itemize, instead of state income tax: see the standard vs itemized deduction calculator.