Sales Tax Calculator
Select your state to instantly see the sales tax on any purchase, your annual tax burden, how your rate compares to neighboring states, and whether groceries are exempt — using live Tax Foundation 2026 combined rates.
Sales tax rates range from 0% to 9.55% across the US — on $800/month the annual difference is $917. Select your state to see what you actually pay.
7.12%
Average combined US sales tax rate in 2026 (Tax Foundation)
$684
Annual tax burden on $800/month at the US average rate
9.55%
Highest combined rate — Tennessee (2026)
Sales tax — what the numbers mean
The hidden cost on every purchase, made visible.
Rates vary wildly — and your neighbors matter
Tennessee's combined rate of 9.55% costs $917/year on $800/month of taxable spending. Oregon's 0% costs nothing. Washington (9.38%) borders Oregon — a fact that drives billions in cross-border shopping. This calculator shows you exactly how your state compares to its neighbors.
Grocery exemptions save families hundreds
States that exempt groceries save a typical household ~$534/year at the average rate. States that don't — Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas — effectively impose a regressive food tax. This calculator tells you whether your state exempts groceries and what that's worth.
The invisible investment drag
$684/year in sales tax invested at 7% compounds to $9,444 over 10 years and $28,021 over 20. Sales tax is a fixed cost of where you live — but seeing the annual number makes it a real line item in your financial plan, not just a few cents on every receipt.
Sales Tax Rates — Visual Overview
How your state stacks up against the rest of the US.
Top 10 Highest Combined Rates
State + local average
Annual Tax Burden by Monthly Spend
Three rate scenarios compared
Price Composition on a $500 Purchase
At the US average rate of 7.12%
Lowest 10 Combined Rates by State
Tax-friendly states — 0% = no statewide sales tax
How the Sales Tax Calculator Works
Formula
Tax Amount = Price × (Combined Rate ÷ 100)
Total Price = Price + Tax Amount
Monthly Burden = Monthly Spend × (Combined Rate ÷ 100)
Annual Burden = Monthly Burden × 12
Grocery Saving = $7,500 × (Rate ÷ 100) [if exempt]Select your state
The calculator loads your state's live combined sales tax rate (state + average local) from the Tax Foundation. You can also compare to the US average.
Enter the purchase price
The listed price before tax — what you see on the tag, website, or invoice.
Enter your monthly taxable spending
Your typical monthly spending on goods subject to sales tax. The US average is about $800/month. This powers the annual burden, neighbor comparison, and investment opportunity insights.
Sales tax is calculated on the base (pre-tax) price: multiply by the combined state + local rate as a decimal. At the US average of 7.12%, a $100 purchase generates $7.12 in tax for a total of $107.12.
This calculator uses Tax Foundation 2026 combined rates — the state statutory rate plus the average local rate for each state. It automatically compares your rate to neighboring states, flags whether groceries are exempt, and shows the annual and 10-year investment opportunity cost of your tax burden.
Rates vary dramatically: Tennessee tops the list at 9.55%, while Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, and Delaware charge 0%. On $800/month of taxable spending, that's a $917/year difference — real money that shows up in annual budget planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Calculators
More tools for everyday money math.