Free Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate sales tax by US state instantly. Built-in 50-state tax rates. No signup required.
Add tax to a pre-tax price (e.g., shelf price → total at register)
State-level rate only. Local/city taxes may apply.
Enter an amount and select a state to see your results
| State | State Tax Rate | $100 Item |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7.25% | $107.25 |
| Texas | 6.25% | $106.25 |
| New York | 4% | $104.00 |
| Florida | 6% | $106.00 |
| Washington | 6.5% | $106.50 |
| Oregon | No tax | $100.00 |
| New Hampshire | No tax | $100.00 |
Track Tax Automatically
Eonebill handles sales tax calculations for freelancer invoices.
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Sales tax is a consumption tax imposed on the sale of goods and services. Unlike income tax, it's paid by consumers at the point of purchase and collected by businesses on behalf of states.
State vs. Local Tax: This calculator uses state-level rates only. Most states allow cities, counties, and special districts to add their own taxes on top of the state rate. For example, Chicago has a combined rate of 10.25% while the California state rate is 7.25% but can exceed 10% in some cities.
Tax Nexus: If your business has a "nexus" (physical presence, employees, or significant sales) in a state, you may be required to collect sales tax there. The 2018 Wayfair decision expanded nexus rules to include economic activity, meaning many online sellers now owe taxes in states where they have significant sales even without a physical presence.
Exemptions: Many states exempt necessities like groceries, prescription medicine, and clothing from sales tax. Some states also have exemption certificates for resellers who purchase goods for resale rather than personal use.
Use Tax: If you purchase goods from an out-of-state seller who doesn't collect tax, you may owe "use tax" to your state. This is essentially the same as sales tax but paid by the buyer directly to the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sales tax is calculated by multiplying the pre-tax price by the applicable tax rate. For example, a $100 purchase in California (7.25% state rate) would have $7.25 in sales tax, totaling $107.25. Note that actual rates may be higher due to local/city/county taxes.
Five states have no state-level sales tax: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Alaska (though Alaska allows local taxes). These states rely on other forms of taxation like income or property taxes.
Gross sales tax is the total tax collected. Net sales tax is what you keep after subtracting the tax you paid on items purchased for resale (tax paid to suppliers). Businesses that resell goods can often claim a tax exemption or credit for taxes paid on inventory.
It depends on your state and your sales volume. Most states require collection once you exceed a certain threshold (often $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions). Some states also tax specific services. Always check your state's nexus requirements and consult a tax professional.
Tax-included pricing means the advertised price already contains the tax (common in some countries). Tax-excluded pricing (more common in the US) means tax is added at checkout. This calculator supports both directions: add tax to a base price, or reverse-calculate the pre-tax amount from a total.
Economic nexus is the obligation to collect sales tax in a state where you have no physical presence but exceed a sales threshold. After the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, every state with a sales tax now imposes economic nexus. The most common threshold is 100,000 dollars in annual sales or 200 transactions into that state, though limits vary by state. Online sellers should monitor sales by destination state and register once they cross a threshold.
It depends on the state and the service category. Most states tax tangible personal property by default but exempt most services, while states like Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota tax most services. Common taxable services across many states include landscaping, dry cleaning, parking, hotel stays, and digital services. Always check the specific state revenue department guidance for your service category before deciding whether to collect tax.
Filing frequency is set by each state based on your tax volume. New registrants typically start at quarterly filings; high-volume sellers are reassigned to monthly; very small sellers may qualify for annual filings. Late filings trigger penalties and interest even when no tax is owed, so put each due date on your calendar and consider an automated solution if you sell into multiple states.
What Is Sales Tax?
Sales tax is a consumption tax that the seller collects from the buyer at the point of sale and remits to the state and local government. In the United States, 45 states plus the District of Columbia impose a statewide sales tax, ranging from 2.9 percent in Colorado to 7.25 percent in California. Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no statewide sales tax, though Alaska allows local jurisdictions to charge their own.
On top of the state rate, most states allow counties, cities, and special districts to add local sales tax. In Tennessee, for example, the combined state-plus-local rate can exceed 9.75 percent, while in some Alaskan boroughs the effective rate is zero. The total rate you charge a customer depends on the destination of the sale (for shipping) or the origin of the sale (for in-person), depending on which sourcing rule your state uses. Failure to collect the correct rate is one of the most common audit triggers for small e-commerce sellers.
How to Calculate Sales Tax
The basic formula is straightforward, but the application gets complex once nexus, exemptions, and origin-vs-destination sourcing enter the picture. Use this five-step process:
- Identify the taxable amount. Start with the pre-tax sale price. Exclude items the state exempts — most commonly unprepared groceries, prescription drugs, and most professional services.
- Determine the applicable rate. Use the destination address for shipped goods in destination-based states (the majority), or the seller location for origin-based states (Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and a few others). The total rate is state plus county plus city plus special district combined.
- Multiply. Tax owed equals taxable amount times the combined rate. A 100 dollar sale at a 7.25 percent rate creates 7.25 dollars in sales tax; the total invoice is 107.25 dollars. Round to the nearest cent using the rounding rule your state requires.
- Apply resale exemptions. If your customer provides a valid resale certificate, collect no sales tax — they will collect it from the final consumer. Keep a signed copy of the certificate on file for at least four years for audit purposes.
- Track economic nexus and file on schedule. Monitor sales into every state and register when you cross a nexus threshold. Most states require monthly or quarterly filings; the largest sellers file monthly. Late filings trigger penalties even when no tax is owed.
The calculator above gives you the state-level rate only. For an exact figure including local jurisdictions, look up the destination ZIP code on your state department of revenue website or use a dedicated sales tax automation platform.
Important Notice — Not Tax Advice
This sales tax calculation tool is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or professional advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and current published rates, which may change without notice.
Tax laws vary by federal, state, and local jurisdiction and may not reflect your individual situation. Eonebill makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of any output and is not responsible for any decisions made based on this tool.
Before filing any tax form, claiming a deduction, or making a financial decision, consult a qualified tax professional, CPA, or licensed attorney. For official guidance, visit IRS.gov or your state's department of revenue.
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