TryClearTally
Printed July 23, 2026 · https://trycleartally.com/sales-tax-calculator
Estimates for educational purposes only — not financial advice. See https://trycleartally.com/disclaimer.
Sales Tax Calculator
Add sales tax to any price. Pick your state for its base rate, drop in a local rate, and see the tax and the total you'll actually pay.
Reviewed by the ClearTally editorial team · Last updated July 23, 2026 · Methodology & sources
State base rates as of January 1, 2025.
Added on top of the 7.25% state rate. Leave 0 if unknown.
California: Highest state base rate; local rates add more.
Sales tax
$4.35
7.25% applied
Total to pay
$64.34
$59.99 + tax
Curious what California takes from your paycheck too? See the California income tax estimate.
Uses each state's statewide general sales tax rate; city, county, and district taxes are added on top and vary within a state, so enter your local rate or a combined rate for an exact figure. A few states (Hawaii, New Mexico) levy a gross receipts tax that's passed on similarly. Estimate only, not tax advice.
Sales Tax Calculation
Sales tax
$4.35
State base rate plus any local rate entered. Local rates vary within a state. Not tax advice.
Calculated using the standard formulas described at https://trycleartally.com/methodology — for educational estimates only, not a quote or financial advice. Verify with your lender or financial institution before making decisions.
Sales tax is only one way a state reaches your wallet. To see what it takes from your earnings, try the income tax calculator, which estimates federal and state income tax together.
How it works
Sales tax is a straight percentage of the price: tax is the amount times the rate, and the total is the amount plus that tax. The only real work is getting the rate right, and that's where it gets fiddly. Every state sets a statewide base rate, but cities, counties, and special districts stack their own rates on top — so two stores a few miles apart can charge different totals on the same item.
This calculator starts you with the correct state base rate (data through January 1, 2025) and lets you add your local rate to reach the combined rate you actually pay. If you already know the full rate — say from a receipt — switch to the manual option and enter it directly. Five states charge no statewide sales tax at all: New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Delaware, though Alaska and Montana allow some local taxes.
Example: a $59.99 item in California, whose base rate is 7.25%, carries about $4.35 in state sales tax for a $64.34 total. Add a 2% local rate — bringing the combined rate to 9.25%, common in many California cities — and the tax rises to roughly $5.55. That 2 percentage points is small on one item but adds up fast across a full cart.
Sources & further reading
FAQ
The combined rate on a receipt is the fastest source — it already includes state, county, city, and any district taxes for that exact location. Failing that, most state revenue departments publish a rate lookup by address or ZIP code, because rates can change at city and even district boundaries. This calculator gives you the state base rate automatically; add your local portion on top, or switch to manual entry if you already know the full combined rate.