🇺🇸 Tax Calculator

US Sales Tax Calculator: The Complete Guide

All 50 US states + local combined rates. Everything you need to know — plus a free tool to do it instantly.

What is sales tax?

US sales tax is uniquely complex — unlike VAT/GST, it is only collected at the point of final sale and rates vary by state, county, city, and special district. This tool covers all 50 states and DC with both the state rate and the average combined rate (state + local), based on Tax Foundation 2024–2025 data. Five states have no sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon (NOMAD states).

How it works

Search or scroll to select your state, choose between state-only rate or combined average rate, enter the purchase amount, and see the tax and total instantly. Toggle to a custom rate for specific city/county combinations.

Why it matters

After South Dakota v. Wayfair (2018), online sellers must collect sales tax in states where they have economic nexus — typically $100K in sales or 200 transactions. Get it right to avoid penalties.

Common mistakes

Using only the state rate and ignoring local rates — combined rates can be 2–5% higher
Not tracking economic nexus thresholds in each state
Applying sales tax to exempt items (groceries, medicine, clothing in some states)

Best practices

Use combined rates for consumer-facing prices to avoid undercharging
Monitor your economic nexus thresholds in each state quarterly
Apply for sales tax exemption certificates where applicable

Ready to put this into practice?

Use the free US Sales Tax Calculator to create a real sales tax in under a minute — no signup, exports to PDF and Excel.

Open Sales Tax tool