Discount Calculator
Find your final price after any discount — percentage off, fixed amount, or buy-X-get-Y. Add tax for the exact checkout total.
A discount label is only useful if you know what you actually pay at checkout — after tax.
20%
The most common retail discount threshold — psychologically significant for buyers
7–10%
Average US sales tax rate — often forgotten when calculating what you'll actually pay
$1,500
Estimated annual savings for shoppers who consistently compare discounted prices
What this means for your wallet
Understanding how discounts really work helps you spend smarter.
Percentage vs fixed discounts
A 20% discount saves more on a $500 item than on a $50 item. A fixed $30 off is better when the percentage would be less. This calculator handles both — use whichever matches your deal.
Tax after discount — not before
In most retail scenarios, sales tax is applied to your discounted price. On a $200 item at 25% off, you pay tax on $150 — not $200. That's an extra saving most shoppers miss when calculating the total.
Buy X get Y — what's the real saving?
Buy 2 get 1 free is a 33.3% effective discount. Buy 3 get 1 free is 25% off. The more free items, the better — but the base price per item matters. This calculator shows the true effective saving percentage.
Discount savings and final price — by original price and discount %
Discount calculations catch shoppers out in two ways: comparing across different original prices ('40% off $100 vs 30% off $120') and stacked discounts ('extra 20% off sale price'). Two sequential discounts do not add — a 30% off then 20% off is not 50% off; it's 44% off. The table below shows common discount percentages applied to typical retail price points so you can instantly evaluate any sale claim.
| Original price | 10% off | 25% off | 50% off |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $5 off · $45 | $12.50 off · $37.50 | $25 off · $25 |
| $100 | $10 off · $90 | $25 off · $75 | $50 off · $50 |
| $200 | $20 off · $180 | $50 off · $150 | $100 off · $100 |
| $500 | $50 off · $450 | $125 off · $375 | $250 off · $250 |
How do you calculate the price after a discount?
Final price = original price × (1 − discount%). To save $45 on a $150 item with 30% off: $150 × (1 − 0.30) = $150 × 0.70 = $105. To find the savings amount alone: $150 × 0.30 = $45. Mental shortcut: for 25% off, divide by 4 and subtract. For 20% off, divide by 5 and subtract. For 10% off, move the decimal point one place left and subtract.
How do you calculate the original price from a sale price?
Original price = sale price ÷ (1 − discount%). If you paid $63 after 30% off: $63 ÷ 0.70 = $90 original price. This is useful when a store shows only the sale price. It's also how to fact-check inflated 'original prices' — if a $50 item is listed as '75% off original $200', that's suspicious; check whether the item was ever actually sold at $200 before the 'sale'.
How do stacked or sequential discounts work?
Stacked discounts multiply, they don't add. A 40% off sale with an extra 25% off coupon: you don't get 65% off. You get: 1 − (0.60 × 0.75) = 1 − 0.45 = 55% off total. On a $200 item: first 40% discount = $120; then 25% off $120 = $90. Total discount = $110 (55%), not $130 (65%). Retailers advertise 'extra off sale price' specifically because shoppers assume the discounts are additive.
How the Discount Calculator Works
Formula
Percentage off:
Final price = Original price × (1 − discount% / 100)
Fixed amount off:
Final price = Original price − discount amount
Buy X get Y free (per-item effective price):
Effective price = Original price × (paid items / total items)
With sales tax:
Total = Final price × (1 + tax% / 100)Enter the original price
The listed retail price before any discount is applied.
Choose your discount type
Percentage off (20% sale), fixed amount ($30 coupon), or buy-X-get-Y deals.
Enter the discount value
The percentage, fixed amount, or deal structure depending on your mode.
Add sales tax (optional)
Enter your local tax rate for a fully accurate checkout total. Tax applies to the discounted price.
Read your results
See your final price, how much you save, and the true effective discount percentage.
This calculator handles the three most common discount formats used in retail and ecommerce. Sales tax, where entered, is applied to the post-discount price — which is the standard practice in most US states.
For stacked discounts (e.g. a coupon on top of a sale), calculate the first discount, then use the discounted price as the 'original price' in a second calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Calculators
Tools that complement discount and price calculations.