Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax amounts, before-tax prices, or tax rates instantly. Pre-fill base tax rates for all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Reference Note: State tax rates shown are general base rates as of August 2026. Actual sales tax totals vary by county, city, transit district, and product exemptions (e.g., groceries, medical supplies). Verify current local rates with your state Department of Revenue.
What is Sales Tax & How Does It Work?
Sales tax is a consumption tax imposed by state and local governments on the retail sale of goods and select services. Unlike international Value-Added Tax (VAT), there is no federal sales tax in the United States. Instead, sales tax is levied independently by 45 individual states, the District of Columbia, and thousands of local municipalities (counties, cities, and special transit districts).
Retailers collect sales tax from consumers at the point of sale on behalf of tax authorities. The combined sales tax rate paid by a customer equals the State Base Rate plus any applicable Local, County, or Municipal Surcharges.
The 5 States with No General State Sales Tax (NOMAD)
Five U.S. states do not levy a general state-level sales tax, often remembered by the acronym NOMAD:
- New Hampshire (NH): 0.00% state sales tax (levies specific meals & room taxes).
- Oregon (OR): 0.00% state sales tax (no local sales tax).
- Montana (MT): 0.00% state sales tax (resort communities may levy local option taxes up to 3%).
- Alaska (AK): 0.00% state sales tax (local boroughs and cities levy local sales taxes up to 7.5%).
- Delaware (DE): 0.00% state sales tax (levies a gross receipts tax on businesses instead).
State Sales Tax Rates Table (50 States + DC & Territories)
| State / Territory | State Base Rate | Max Local Rate | Max Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 4% | 7.5% | 11.5% |
| Alaska (AK) | 0% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Arizona (AZ) | 5.6% | 5.6% | 11.2% |
| Arkansas (AR) | 6.5% | 6.125% | 12.625% |
| California (CA) | 7.25% | 3.5% | 10.75% |
| Colorado (CO) | 2.9% | 8.3% | 11.2% |
| Connecticut (CT) | 6.35% | 0% | 6.35% |
| Delaware (DE) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Florida (FL) | 6% | 2% | 8% |
| Georgia (GA) | 4% | 5% | 9% |
| Hawaii (HI) | 4% | 0.5% | 4.5% |
| Idaho (ID) | 6% | 3% | 9% |
| Illinois (IL) | 6.25% | 4.75% | 11% |
| Indiana (IN) | 7% | 0% | 7% |
| Iowa (IA) | 6% | 1% | 7% |
| Kansas (KS) | 6.5% | 4% | 10.5% |
| Kentucky (KY) | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| Louisiana (LA) | 4.45% | 7% | 11.45% |
| Maine (ME) | 5.5% | 0% | 5.5% |
| Maryland (MD) | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 6.25% | 0% | 6.25% |
| Michigan (MI) | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| Minnesota (MN) | 6.875% | 2% | 8.875% |
| Mississippi (MS) | 7% | 1% | 8% |
| Missouri (MO) | 4.225% | 5.763% | 9.988% |
| Montana (MT) | 0% | 3% | 3% |
| Nebraska (NE) | 5.5% | 2.5% | 8% |
| Nevada (NV) | 6.85% | 1.53% | 8.38% |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 6.625% | 0% | 6.625% |
| New Mexico (NM) | 5.125% | 4.188% | 9.313% |
| New York (NY) | 4% | 4.875% | 8.875% |
| North Carolina (NC) | 4.75% | 2.75% | 7.5% |
| North Dakota (ND) | 5% | 3.5% | 8.5% |
| Ohio (OH) | 5.75% | 2.25% | 8% |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 4.5% | 7% | 11.5% |
| Oregon (OR) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 6% | 2% | 8% |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 7% | 0% | 7% |
| South Carolina (SC) | 6% | 3% | 9% |
| South Dakota (SD) | 4.2% | 4.5% | 8.7% |
| Tennessee (TN) | 7% | 2.75% | 9.75% |
| Texas (TX) | 6.25% | 2% | 8.25% |
| Utah (UT) | 6.1% | 3% | 9.1% |
| Vermont (VT) | 6% | 1% | 7% |
| Virginia (VA) | 5.3% | 1.7% | 7% |
| Washington (WA) | 6.5% | 4.1% | 10.6% |
| West Virginia (WV) | 6% | 1% | 7% |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 5% | 0.6% | 5.6% |
| Wyoming (WY) | 4% | 2% | 6% |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| Puerto Rico (PR) | 10.5% | 1% | 11.5% |
| Guam (GU) | 4% | 0% | 4% |
U.S. Sales Tax History & Federal Deductibility
Taxes on trade in America date back to colonial times, most famously commemorated by the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Modern state sales taxes emerged during the Great Depression, starting with Mississippi in 1930, as states sought reliable revenue sources to fund public infrastructure and emergency relief.
Sales Tax Deduction (Schedule A Itemized Deductions)
Under federal tax law, taxpayers who itemize deductions on Form 1040 (Schedule A) can choose to deduct either state and local income taxes OR state and local general sales taxes (the SALT deduction). Under current tax provisions, total SALT deductions are capped at $10,000 per household ($5,000 for married filing separately).
Sales Tax vs. International VAT & GST
International shoppers frequently confuse U.S. sales tax with Value-Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST). Key differences include:
- Point of Collection: U.S. sales tax is collected exclusively at the final retail purchase. VAT/GST is collected incrementally at every step of manufacturing and distribution.
- Display Pricing: U.S. retail shelf prices almost always exclude sales tax (tax is calculated at checkout). In contrast, European and global VAT is typically included in the visible price tag.
Financial & Tax Disclaimer
The sales tax information provided on Holy Calculator is for general educational and reference purposes only. Tax laws, local municipal surcharges, and product-specific tax exemptions change periodically. This content does not constitute professional tax or legal advice. Always consult a certified public accountant (CPA) or your state Department of Revenue for transaction-specific guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
To calculate sales tax, multiply the before-tax item price by the tax rate expressed as a decimal. For example, if an item costs $100 and the sales tax rate is 7%, multiply $100 × 0.07 to get $7.00 in tax. The total price after tax is $107.00 ($100 + $7).