Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax, VAT, or GST on any amount. Support for multiple tax rates, compound taxes, and tax-inclusive reverse calculations.
Calculation Results
Effective tax rate: 8.25%
Need to create an invoice with this tax?
Auto-Calculate Tax on Every Invoice
Set up tax rates once in InvoiceCave, and every invoice automatically calculates the right tax. Save time, stay compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate sales tax?
Enter the pre-tax amount and your tax rate percentage. The calculator instantly shows the tax amount and the total including tax. For example, $100 at 8.25% tax = $8.25 tax, $108.25 total.
What is a compound tax?
A compound tax is a tax applied on top of another tax. For example, in some Canadian provinces, PST is calculated on the amount that already includes GST. Our calculator supports compound tax calculations.
How do I calculate tax from a tax-inclusive price?
Toggle "Price includes tax" mode. Enter the total amount and the tax rate, and the calculator will extract the tax amount and show the pre-tax price. This is also called reverse tax calculation.
What tax rates should I use?
Tax rates vary by location. Common US state sales tax ranges from 0% to 10.25%. VAT in the EU ranges from 17% to 27%. GST in Australia is 10%, and in India ranges from 5% to 28%. Always check your local tax authority for current rates.
Can I add multiple tax rates?
Yes! You can add multiple tax rows to calculate combined taxes. Each row can be a regular tax or a compound tax. This is useful for jurisdictions with multiple tax components like GST + PST.
Understanding Sales Tax
Sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of sale on goods and services. In the United States, sales tax rates vary by state, county, and city — ranging from 0% (Oregon, Montana) to over 10% in some jurisdictions. Unlike VAT used in Europe and many other countries, US sales tax is only collected at the final point of sale.
Sales Tax vs. VAT vs. GST
Sales Tax is charged once at the final sale. VAT (Value Added Tax) is charged at each stage of production and distribution. GST (Goods and Services Tax) is similar to VAT and used in countries like Australia, India, Canada, and Singapore. Our calculator works with all three systems.
Tax-Inclusive vs. Tax-Exclusive Pricing
In tax-exclusive pricing (common in the US), the listed price does not include tax — it's added at checkout. In tax-inclusive pricing (common in Europe, Australia), the listed price already includes tax. Use our reverse calculator to extract the tax from an inclusive price.