Last updated: September 2026

Sales Tax Calculator

Pick a state and city to calculate the tax on a purchase, compare the same purchase across states, or look up any state's rates and rules in the table below.

All 50 states and DC · Rates as of July 1, 2026 · Source: Tax Foundation Midyear 2026 and state revenue departments

Calculate Sales Tax

$
Tax Rate
State Rate
—
%

Local rate varies by city and county.

Results update automatically as you type.

Tax Amount
—
Breakdown Amount
Pre-tax Price —
Tax Rate —
Sales Tax —
Total Price —

Compare the same purchase across states

Each state's population-weighted average combined rate (state plus local) applied to one purchase. Pick a state in the calculator to compare it with its neighbors, or build your own list. A specific city can be higher or lower than its state's average.

$
State State rate Avg. combined Tax Total Difference Remove

Buying in a lower-tax state doesn't usually lower what you legally owe on things you bring home. See buying across state lines.

No state sales tax
5
states
Highest state rate
7.25%
California
Highest avg. combined
10.13%
Louisiana
Lowest avg. combined
4.50%
Hawaii, of states with a sales tax

Sales tax rates by state, 2026

Local rates run from the lowest to the highest local tax anywhere in the state, as of July 1, 2026. Your address falls somewhere in that range. Open a state for its major-city rates, what it does with groceries and clothing, any sales tax holidays, and a link to its official address lookup or rate table.

4% Up to 8% Up to 12%
None 0–7.85% 0–7.85%
5.6% 0–5.3% 5.6–10.9%
6.5% 0–6.125% 6.5–12.625%
7.25% 0–4% 7.25–11.25%
2.9% Up to 9.1% Up to 12%
6.35% None 6.35%
None None None
6% 0–2% 6–8%
4% 2–5% 6–9%
4% 0.5% 4.5%
6% 0–3% 6–9%
6.25% 0–5% 6.25–11.25%
7% None 7%
6% 0–1% 6–7%
6.5% 0–4.25% 6.5–10.75%
6% None 6%
5% Up to 7% Up to 12%
5.5% None 5.5%
6% None 6%
6.25% None 6.25%
6% None 6%
6.875% 0–3% 6.875–9.875%
7% 0–1% 7–8%
4.225% 0.5–8.013% 4.725–12.238%
None Resort towns only None
5.5% 0–2% 5.5–7.5%
6.85% 0–1.525% 6.85–8.375%
None None None
6.625% None 6.625%
4.875% 0.375–4.5625% 5.25–9.4375%
4% 3–4.875% 7–8.875%
4.75% 2–3.5% 6.75–8.25%
5% 0–3.75% 5–8.75%
5.75% 0.75–2.5% 6.5–8.25%
4.5% 0–7% 4.5–11.5%
None None None
6% 0–2% 6–8%
7% None 7%
6% 0–3% 6–9%
4.2% 0–4.5% 4.2–8.7%
7% 2–2.75% 9–9.75%
6.25% 0–2% 6.25–8.25%
4.85% 1.5–5.2% 6.35–10.05%
6% 0–1% 6–7%
4.3% 1–2.7% 5.3–7%
6.5% 1.1–4.2% 7.6–10.7%
6% None 6%
6% 0–1% 6–7%
5% 0–2.9% 5–7.9%
4% 0–3% 4–7%

How to calculate sales tax

Sales tax is a percentage of the purchase price:

Tax = Price × (Tax Rate ÷ 100)
Total = Price + Tax

For example, a $250.00 item in Texas at the 6.25% state rate carries $15.63 in state tax. Texas cities and counties add an average of 1.95% on top, so at the typical combined rate of 8.20% the total comes to about $270.50.

State vs. local sales tax

The state rate is the base set by the state. In most states, counties, cities, and special districts can add their own rate on top, and the combined figure is what you pay at the register. In Los Angeles, California's 7.25% state rate rises to 9.5% once the local portions are added. Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C.do not allow local sales taxes, so one rate applies everywhere in each state.

That spread is why the calculator asks for your city. A statewide average is useful for comparing states, but it can be well off for a particular address.

Buying across state lines

Every state with a sales tax also has a use tax at the same rate. It applies to taxable items you buy somewhere with a lower rate, or no tax at all, and bring home. Driving to Delaware, New Hampshire, or Oregon doesn't legally change what you owe on the purchase. It changes who you owe it to, and whether anyone collects it.

In practice collection depends on the item. Vehicles are taxed when you register them in your home state, and most states credit any sales tax you already paid where you bought it. Large online retailers now collect your home state's tax at checkout. For small in-person purchases the use tax is owed but rarely enforced, and some states ask you to report it on your income tax return. The comparison above shows what the tax is where the sale happens, which is what visitors and people deciding where to live pay. It is not a way to avoid your own state's tax.

States with no sales tax

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no state-level sales tax. Alaska lets boroughs and cities charge their own, averaging 1.82%. The others have no general sales tax at any level, apart from narrow exceptions such as Montana's resort-town taxes and New Hampshire's tax on restaurant meals and lodging. Open any of them in the table above to see what the state taxes instead.

No sales tax doesn't mean low taxes. These states lean harder on income, property, or business taxes. Compare their income taxes in the state income tax rates table.

Frequently asked questions

Which states have no sales tax?

5 states have no state-level sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska lets boroughs and cities levy their own, so purchases there are not always tax-free. A few Montana resort towns charge a resort tax on tourist businesses, and New Hampshire taxes restaurant meals and lodging, but none of them has a general sales tax at checkout.

How do I calculate sales tax?

Multiply the pre-tax price by the tax rate expressed as a decimal. For example, a $100 item with a 7% tax rate: $100 × 0.07 = $7.00 tax, making the total $107.00. Where a city or county adds its own rate, add it to the state rate first.

Which state has the highest sales tax?

California has the highest state-level rate at 7.25%. Once average local taxes are added, Louisiana has the highest combined rate at 10.13%, followed by Tennessee (9.61%), Washington (9.57%), Arkansas (9.48%), and Alabama (9.46%).

Can I avoid sales tax by shopping in a state that has none?

Not legally, for most things you take home. States with a sales tax also have a use tax at the same rate, owed on taxable items bought elsewhere and brought back into the state. Cars are the case where it is actually collected: you pay your home state's tax when you register the vehicle. For everyday purchases the use tax is rarely enforced, but it is still owed, and some states ask about it on the income tax return.

Which states do not tax clothing?

Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont exempt most clothing. Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island exempt items under a price cap: $175 in Massachusetts (tax applies only to the amount above it), $110 per item from New York's state portion, and $250 per item in Rhode Island. Clothing is also untaxed in the states with no sales tax at all. Several other states suspend tax on clothing during a back-to-school sales tax holiday.

Is sales tax calculated before or after discounts?

Sales tax is generally calculated on the final discounted price, not the original price. If an item costs $100 and has a $20 store coupon, you pay tax on $80. Manufacturer coupons can work differently depending on state rules.

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