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IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC

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Sales tax calculator

Look up the combined sales tax rate for any state, add tax to a purchase or work backwards from a total, and compare two states side by side. Covers all 50 states and DC at their average combined rate.

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Your result

Choose a state and enter an amount to see the tax.

Rate breakdown and calculated tax
State rate—
Average local rate—
Combined average rate—
Highest local rate in state—
Pre-tax amount—
Sales tax—
Total—

    This is the state rate plus the population-weighted average local rate. Your actual rate depends on the specific address — city and special-district taxes vary within every state. Before collecting tax from customers, verify the exact rate for the delivery address with the state’s Department of Revenue or an address-level lookup.

    Questions about collecting sales tax?

    Every state

    Sales tax rates by state

    Select a state for its rate, an embedded calculator, and the biggest-city detail.

    How this works

    State, local, and combined — and why your address matters

    Sales tax in the United States is not one tax but a stack of them. Most states set a statewide rate, then allow counties, cities, and special districts to add their own on top. What you actually pay at the register is the combined rate for that specific location — which is why the same purchase can cost more in a city centre than in a suburb ten minutes away.

    This calculator shows the state rate plus the population-weighted average local rate. That average is genuinely useful for a quick estimate and for comparing states, but it is not the rate for any one address. Louisiana tops the table at over 10% combined, while Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon charge nothing at all. Alaska is the odd one out: no state sales tax, but local taxes that in some towns climb higher than several states' combined rates.

    The gap between the average and a real address is exactly where sales tax gets people into trouble. If you're a shopper, the average is close enough to budget with. If you collect sales tax from customers — an online seller, a service business, anyone with nexus in a state — you are responsible for charging the correct rate for each customer's address, and the state average will not satisfy an auditor. For that you need an address-level lookup, which every state Department of Revenue provides.

    A few wrinkles the headline rate hides: groceries, clothing, and prescriptions are exempt or reduced-rate in many states, so the general rate here won't apply to every basket. California, Utah, and Virginia bake a mandatory local add-on into their state figure. And New Jersey's average dips slightly below its state rate because Urban Enterprise Zones charge half rate in designated areas. The per-state pages spell out each of these where they apply.

    Working out what your business owes across multiple states is its own project — see our state income tax calculator for the income side, or book a free consultation about sales-tax nexus and registration.

    Questions

    Sales tax, answered

    Five states levy no sales tax at any level: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have neither a state nor a local sales tax. Alaska has no statewide sales tax, but many Alaskan localities levy their own, so you may still pay sales tax on a purchase there. Everywhere else charges a state sales tax, and most add local taxes on top.

    Louisiana has the highest average combined rate at 10.13% — a 5.00% state rate plus about 5.13% in average local taxes. Tennessee, Arkansas, Washington and Louisiana all cluster near the top; the specific ranking shifts as local rates change.

    Because it is a state average, not an address-level rate. Sales tax is set by the delivery address, and cities, counties, and special districts within a state can charge more or less than the statewide average. A downtown address and a suburb in the same state often differ. Use this for a close estimate, then confirm the exact rate for your address.

    Every state Department of Revenue publishes an address-level rate lookup, which is the authoritative source for what to charge. Several paid services also return address-accurate rates via an API if you need to automate it for a store. This tool intentionally shows the state average rather than guessing at a city rate free data cannot verify.

    Switch to “Find the pre-tax price” and enter a total you already paid. The tool works backwards from the combined rate to split that total into the original price and the sales tax inside it — useful for expense records and bookkeeping when a receipt only shows the total.

    These are the Tax Foundation’s state and local sales tax rates as of July 1, 2026, last reviewed on our side on August 3, 2026. Sales tax rates change often — confirm the current rate before you rely on it for tax you collect or remit.

    Not sure where you owe sales tax?

    Nexus rules decide which states you must register in and collect for. Book a free consultation to map it out.

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    Important disclaimer Read

    This calculator is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice, and must not be relied upon as such.

    No professional relationship. Using this calculator does not create a CPA-client, advisory, or any professional relationship between you and IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC. A professional relationship is established only through a signed engagement letter.

    This calculator shows a state rate plus the population-weighted AVERAGE local rate — it is not the rate for any specific address. Actual sales tax is determined by the delivery address and can include city, county, and special-district taxes that differ from the state average. If you collect sales tax from customers, you are responsible for charging the correct address-level rate; do not rely on this average for tax you remit to any taxing authority. This tool is general educational information, not tax advice, and using it creates no client relationship. Verify the exact rate with the state’s Department of Revenue or an address-level lookup. IMAAR Associates CPA, PLLC disclaims all liability for reliance on these estimates.

    This disclaimer is AI-drafted and pending attorney review.

    For advice you can rely on, book a free consultation with a Washington State Licensed CPA.

    Rates: Tax Foundation, State & Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (as of July 1, 2026). Data effective: Rates as of July 1, 2026. Last reviewed: August 3, 2026. Sales tax rates change frequently — we review this quarterly against the Tax Foundation dataset. Confirm current rates before relying on them. All calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is collected or stored.

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