Everyday money
See the price before and after sales tax.
Add tax to a purchase, work backward from a tax-included price, or use the receipt amounts to find the effective rate.
Your result
The tax calculation will appear here.
Choose a calculation and enter the amounts from a price tag, quote, or receipt.
Sales tax
Pre-tax subtotal
Tax-included total
Math used
Adding sales tax
Convert the percentage to a decimal, multiply it by the taxable subtotal, then add the tax. At 8.5%, the multiplier for the final total is 1.085.
Removing included tax
Working backward uses division. A $108.50 total at 8.5% came from $108.50 / 1.085, or a $100 pre-tax subtotal.
Why receipts may differ
Taxability can depend on the item and location. Stores may also round tax by line item instead of once on the subtotal, creating a difference of a cent or two.
Use the rate for the actual transaction
Local rates and taxable items vary. The IRS also distinguishes between state and local tax bases when explaining combined sales taxes. For tax deduction questions, use the official IRS sales tax deduction guidance rather than this purchase calculator.
This calculator provides a purchase estimate, not tax advice. It does not determine whether an item, service, shipping charge, discount, or transaction is taxable in a particular jurisdiction.
Worked example and limitations
A $100 item at an 8.5% rate produces $8.50 in tax and a $108.50 total. To remove included tax, divide $108.50 by 1.085 to return to the $100 pre-tax amount. To find an effective rate, divide tax paid by the pre-tax subtotal.
Assumptions: the entered rate is a combined rate, the entire subtotal is taxable, and the calculation is rounded only for display. Actual receipts may differ because of exemptions, tax holidays, line-item rounding, delivery charges, or local rules.
Method and source links reviewed September 29, 2026.
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