Sales Tax & VAT Calculator — Tax Rate Online (US, EU)

Add-tax math: tax = pre × (rate/100); total = pre + tax. Reverse-extract math: pre = gross / (1 + rate/100); tax = gross − pre. The reverse mode is the trickier one because dividing by (1 + rate/100) reaches a different number than just multiplying by (1 − rate/100) — a $107 gross at 7% tax extracts to $100.00 pre-tax + $7.00 tax, NOT $99.51 pre-tax. The naïve "subtract 7%" approach gives 107 × 0.93 = $99.51 which understates the pre-tax amount by $0.49. The same trap applies to VAT extraction in EU contexts. The page handles both directions correctly with the proper division for reverse mode.

The US has no federal sales tax — sales tax is a state-and-locality construct, with rates varying widely (California 7.25% state base, often 8-10% with city/county add-ons; Tennessee combined up to 9.75%; Texas 8.25%). Five states have NO statewide sales tax — the NOMAD states (New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, Delaware), though Alaska and Montana allow LOCAL sales taxes (Alaska up to 7.85%) and Delaware levies a gross receipts tax. Since South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. 585 U.S. 162 (decided 21 June 2018), states require remote sellers to collect sales tax once they cross economic-nexus thresholds (South Dakota's were $100,000 in sales OR 200 transactions per year). EU VAT, by contrast, is a harmonised value-added-tax system (Directive 2006/112/EC) with a 15% standard-rate floor across all 27 Member States.

EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC Article 97 sets a 15% standard rate floor (introduced by Council Directive 92/77/EEC of 19 October 1992; made permanent by Council Directive (EU) 2018/912 of 22 June 2018). Standard rates as of 2026: Spain 21%, France 20%, Germany 19%, Italy 22%, Netherlands 21%, Hungary 27% (highest in EU), UK 20% (post-Brexit, separate from EU regime). Reduced rates (minimum 5% per Article 98 + Annex III): Spain 10% on non-staple food + 4% super-reduced on staples, France 10% on most food + 5.5% on books and certain basic foodstuffs, Germany 7% on food + books + cultural events. Super-reduced and zero rates retained for historical reasons in specific Member States: UK zero-rates children's clothes + books + most basic foods + public transport; Ireland zero-rates basic foods + children's clothes; Spain super-reduced 4% on staple foods + books.

Japan consumption tax (消費税 Sho-hi-zei) 10% standard since 1 October 2019 (raised from 8%); 8% reduced rate retained for food + non-alcoholic beverages + newspaper subscriptions per the Consumption Tax Act. Australia GST (Goods and Services Tax) 10% since 1 July 2000 under A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 — fewer exemptions than EU VAT (most basic foods GST-free; education + health GST-free). Canada GST 5% federal, plus provincial PST 0-10% or harmonised HST in 5 provinces (Ontario 13%, Nova Scotia 14% since 1 April 2025, New Brunswick / Newfoundland & Labrador / PEI 15%). New Zealand GST 15%, the highest in OECD without reduced rates. Per OECD Consumption Tax Trends 2024, average OECD-wide standard VAT/GST rate is 19.3% (2024 figure).

No — this calculator handles flat-rate consumption tax (sales tax, VAT, GST) which applies a single percentage to a transaction value. Progressive income tax requires jurisdiction-specific bracket structures (US federal 7 brackets 10-37% under TCJA + state brackets; UK 4 bands 0-45%; Spain national + autonomous-community variation 19-47%; Germany linear progression 14-45%) plus deductions, allowances, credits, and filing-status nuances that change annually. Use cases for this calculator: checking a sales-tax line on a US store receipt, separating VAT from a European invoice for accounting, computing the after-tax cost while travelling, sanity-checking a freelance invoice quoted to an EU client, or back-of-envelope import-duty math. For income tax, use a jurisdiction-specific tool with the current year's brackets.