How do I add sales tax to a price?

Multiply the price by the tax rate and divide by 100, then add it on. Example: $100 at 8.25% = 100 × 8.25 ÷ 100 = $8.25 tax, so $108.25 in total.

How do I remove sales tax from a total?

Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. A $108.25 total at 8.25% is 108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100 before tax, so the tax was $8.25.

Why can't I just subtract 8.25% from the total?

Because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax price, not on the total. Subtracting the rate from the total always takes off too much.

Does this work for VAT and GST?

Yes. VAT, GST and sales tax all work the same arithmetically — enter your local rate, such as 20% for UK VAT or 10% for Australian GST.

What sales tax rate should I use?

In the United States the rate depends on state, county and city, and commonly lands between 0% and about 10%. Check your local rate before relying on a figure.

How do I find the tax rate from a receipt?

Divide the tax charged by the pre-tax price and multiply by 100. $8.25 of tax on $100 of goods is 8.25 ÷ 100 × 100 = 8.25%.

Percentage Calculator / Sales tax calculator

Sales Tax Calculator

Add sales tax, VAT or GST to a price, or work backwards from a tax-inclusive total to the price before tax. Free, ad-free, and every answer updates as you type.

Add tax to a price

Price plus sales tax

A price ofplus%tax

108.25 total

Remove tax from a total

Reverse sales tax

A total ofincluding%tax

100 before tax · 8.25 tax

Find the rate from a receipt

What tax rate was charged

Tax ofon goods of

8.25%

How to add and remove sales tax step by step

A worked example at 8.25% on a $100 price, then the same figures in reverse.

1. Multiply the price by the rate
100 × 8.25 = 825
2. Divide by 100
825 ÷ 100 = $8.25 tax
3. Add it to the price
100 + 8.25 = $108.25
4. Reverse it by dividing
108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100

Notice step 4 divides rather than subtracting 8.25%. Taking 8.25% off $108.25 gives $99.32, which is wrong by 68 cents, because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax price.

Adding tax and removing tax are not mirror images

Adding tax multiplies the pre-tax price by 1.0825. Removing it divides the total by 1.0825. Those are opposite operations, so subtracting the same percentage from the total never gets you back — the bigger the rate, the bigger the gap.

This matters most when you quote tax-inclusive prices but report tax-exclusive revenue: always divide down from the total, and the two numbers will reconcile to the cent.

Common sales tax answers

Tax added to the price shown. Change either number above for your own rate.

8.25% tax on $100$108.25

7% tax on $100$107.00

10% tax on $100$110.00

6% tax on $50$53.00

8.875% tax on $75$81.66

5% tax on $19.99$20.99

20% VAT on £250£300.00

10% GST on $89.99$98.99

$108.25 total at 8.25% was$100.00

$120 total at 20% was$100.00

$110 total at 10% was$100.00

$8.25 tax on $100 of goods is8.25%

Sales tax questions people ask

How do I add sales tax to a price?: Multiply the price by the tax rate and divide by 100, then add it on. Example: $100 at 8.25% = 100 × 8.25 ÷ 100 = $8.25 tax, so $108.25 in total.
How do I remove sales tax from a total?: Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. A $108.25 total at 8.25% is 108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100 before tax, so the tax was $8.25.
Why can't I just subtract 8.25% from the total?: Because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax price, not on the total. Subtracting the rate from the total always takes off too much.
Does this work for VAT and GST?: Yes. VAT, GST and sales tax all work the same arithmetically — enter your local rate, such as 20% for UK VAT or 10% for Australian GST.
What sales tax rate should I use?: In the United States the rate depends on state, county and city, and commonly lands between 0% and about 10%. Check your local rate before relying on a figure.
How do I find the tax rate from a receipt?: Divide the tax charged by the pre-tax price and multiply by 100. $8.25 of tax on $100 of goods is 8.25 ÷ 100 × 100 = 8.25%.

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