Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to a pre-tax price, or work backwards from a tax-inclusive total to find out what the price was before tax. You supply the rate - there's no way to guess it for you.
Formula and method
Adding tax: tax = price × (rate ÷ 100); total = price + tax.
Removing tax: price before tax = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100); tax = total − price before tax.
No preset rates here. Combined state, county and city rates differ by transaction, so you're better placed to know the right number than any dropdown we could build.
Worked example
You sell an item for €100 before tax in a jurisdiction with an 8% combined sales tax rate.
Tax = €100 × 0.08 = €8, so the customer pays €108.
Working backwards from €108: €108 ÷ 1.08 = €100 before tax, with €8 of that being tax.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I add sales tax to a price?
Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate and add it. €100 at 8% becomes €100 + €8 = €108.
How do I remove sales tax from a total?
Divide the tax-inclusive total by (1 + rate ÷ 100). €108 including 8% tax works out to €108 ÷ 1.08 = €100 before tax.
Why doesn't the calculator ship with preset tax rates?
Sales tax in a lot of places stacks state, county and city rates that vary transaction by transaction. There's no single number worth presetting. Enter the rate that actually applies to your sale.
Is sales tax the same as VAT?
No. Sales tax is usually charged once, at the final sale. VAT is charged and reclaimed at every stage of the supply chain. If you need VAT figures, use the VAT calculator instead.
Will this match what my invoicing software rounds to?
The maths here runs at full precision and shows two decimals. Accounting systems often round per line or per invoice, so you may see a cent or two of difference - that's rounding, not an error.
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