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Sales Tax Reverse Calculator

Enter the total you paid and the sales tax rate to get the price before tax and the tax inside it, worked out as total ÷ (1 + rate). How it works

Use the Sales Tax Reverse Calculator

Pre-tax price
$100.00
Total price $108.25 · Tax amount $8.25

Tax rate applied 8.25%

About the Sales Tax Reverse Calculator

To remove sales tax from a total, divide the total by 1 plus the rate. $108.25 at 8.25% is $108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100.00 before tax, so $8.25 of the total was tax. The tool shows the pre-tax price and the tax amount for any total and rate you enter.

Price before tax in a $100.00 total

Tax ratePrice before taxTax in the total
5%$95.24$4.76
6%$94.34$5.66
7%$93.46$6.54
8.25%$92.38$7.62
10%$90.91$9.09
20%$83.33$16.67

Each price is $100.00 ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), rounded to the cent.

How to use this tool

  1. Enter the total you paid, tax included.
  2. Enter the sales tax rate as a percentage, such as 8.25.
  3. Read the pre-tax price in large type and the tax amount under it.

Frequently asked questions

Why can’t I just subtract the tax percentage from the total?
The tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax price, not on the total. 8.25% of $108.25 is $8.93, and subtracting it leaves $99.32, which is 68 cents short of the real $100.00.
How do I find the price before tax at 7%?
Divide by 1.07. A $21.40 total is $20.00 before tax and $1.40 of tax. A $100.00 total at 7% is $93.46 plus $6.54.
Why is the result a cent off my receipt?
Sellers round the tax to the cent, so two totals can share one pre-tax price. At 6.25%, both $53.12 and $53.13 come back as $50.00 before tax, though $50.00 plus tax is $53.13.
Does it work for VAT-inclusive prices?
Yes, the arithmetic is the same. Enter the gross price and the VAT rate: £1,000 at 20% holds 833.33 net and 166.67 of VAT. The result is always shown with a dollar sign.
What sales tax rate should I enter?
The combined state and local rate where you bought the item. The tool does not look up rates. In Texas, for example, the state rate is 6.25% and local taxes can add up to 2%, so the combined rate is at most 8.25%.

Backing tax out of a receipt

A receipt or price tag often shows only the total. Back the tax out to enter the net amount and the tax on separate lines of an expense report, or to check that a seller charged the rate you expected: if $21.40 at 7% comes back as exactly $20.00, the rate was 7%.

The default rate is 8.25%, the highest combined state and local rate in Texas according to the Texas Comptroller: $108.25 splits into $100.00 before tax and $8.25 of tax. At 6.25%, the Texas state rate alone, $53.13 comes back as $50.00 plus $3.13. At a 20% VAT-style rate, a $1,000 gross price contains $833.33 net and $166.67 of tax.

Dividing out the rate

pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100) and tax = total − pre-tax

Subtracting the rate from the total gives the wrong answer: 8.25% of $108.25 is $8.93, which would leave $99.32, because the tax was charged on the smaller pre-tax amount. Results are rounded to the cent only when displayed.

Sellers round tax to the cent going forward, so going backward can be a cent out: $53.12 at 6.25% also shows $50.00 before tax, though $50.00 plus tax is $53.13. Split a receipt with items at different rates before using it. At a 0% rate the pre-tax price equals the total and the tax is $0.00; a negative rate shows $0.00. It does not look up the rate for an address, and it ignores exempt items, shipping and taxes charged on top of other taxes.

Fun Fact: Texas charges a 6.25% state sales tax and lets cities, counties, transit authorities and special districts add up to 2% between them.

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