Sales Tax Calculator by State 2026 — Add Tax & Find the Total Price

Work out exactly how much sales tax you will pay and what an item really costs with our free sales tax calculator. Enter the purchase price, pick your state, and get the tax amount and total price instantly — using the 2026 state sales tax rate and the average combined state-plus-local rate for every state. No sign-up, no download, and nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.

Current as of November 2026. Rates are from the Tax Foundation's State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 report (rates as of July 1, 2026). Local rates are population-weighted averages — your exact city or county rate may be higher or lower, so treat results as estimates.

How to Use This Sales Tax Calculator

1. Enter the purchase price — the price before tax, exactly as it appears on the price tag or invoice.
2. Pick your state — choose from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. The calculator fills in that state's 2026 state rate and average combined rate automatically.
3. Choose which rate to use — the average combined rate (state + local) is selected by default because it is closest to what you pay at the register. Pick "State rate only" to see the tax without local add-ons, or "Custom rate" to use a rate of your own.
4. Enter a custom rate if you know it — if you have a recent receipt or your exact rate from your state revenue department, type it in the custom rate box and select "Custom rate". This gives the most accurate result for your address.
5. Read the results — the sales tax amount, the total price including tax, and the effective rate used are shown instantly and update live as you change anything.
6. Check the breakdown — below the results you can see the state rate, the average local rate and the combined rate for your state, so you can see exactly how the figure was worked out.

How to Calculate Sales Tax

The formula is simple:

Sales tax = purchase price × tax rate  and  Total price = purchase price + sales tax

For example, a $500 item in Tennessee at the 9.61% average combined rate: $500 × 0.0961 = $48.05 of tax, and the total is $500 + $48.05 = $548.05. To work a price backwards — finding the pre-tax price from a total that already includes tax — divide the total by (1 + rate): for a $1,090.30 total in California at 9.03%, $1,090.30 ÷ 1.0903 = $1,000 before tax.

2026 Sales Tax Rates by State

There is no national sales tax in the United States. Forty-five states levy a statewide sales tax, and 38 states allow local sales taxes on top. The table below shows the 2026 state rate and the average combined rate (state plus the population-weighted average local rate) for every state and Washington, D.C., from the Tax Foundation's midyear 2026 report. Local rates vary by city and county, so use your exact rate when you know it.

Notes: the five states with the highest average combined rates are Louisiana (10.13%), Tennessee (9.61%), Washington (9.57%), Arkansas (9.48%) and Alabama (9.46%). The population-weighted national average combined rate is 7.53%. California (7.25%), Utah (6.10%) and Virginia (5.30%) include a mandatory statewide local add-on in the state rate shown. New Jersey's average local rate is slightly negative (−0.02%) because Salem County is exempt from the statewide rate and some cities are in Urban Enterprise Zones taxed at half the state rate. South Dakota's 4.20% state rate is a temporary cut set to sunset in June 2027. No state changed its statewide sales tax rate between January and July 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Estimates only — not tax advice. Sales tax rates and rules change, vary by locality, and depend on what is being bought: groceries, clothing, services, vehicles and digital goods are treated differently from state to state. Always check your receipt or your state revenue department's rate lookup for the exact rate at your address, and consult a qualified tax professional for business or high-value decisions. Sources: Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (rates as of July 1, 2026); state revenue department websites.