Sales Tax Calculator
Tax amount and total price at any rate. Works in reverse too.
How Sales Tax Works in the US
There is no national sales tax in the US — each state sets its own rate (0% to 7.25%), and cities and counties can add local taxes on top. The total rate you pay is state + county + city combined. Five states have zero sales tax: Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Alaska (though some Alaska cities charge local tax). The highest combined rates are in parts of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas, topping 10%. Online purchases are taxed based on the delivery address, not the seller location, since the 2018 South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court ruling.
What Gets Taxed and What Does Not
Most states exempt groceries (unprepared food) from sales tax — but not all. Mississippi, Alabama, and South Dakota tax groceries at the full rate. Restaurant meals are taxed in virtually every state. Clothing is exempt in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, and a few others. Prescription medications are exempt everywhere. The rules are genuinely confusing — a Snickers bar at a grocery store might be tax-free, but the same bar at a gas station convenience counter could be taxed as prepared food depending on your state.
Five US states have no sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
