Reverse Sales Tax Calculator
Work backwards from a tax-inclusive receipt total to find the original pre-tax price and the tax paid: pre-tax price = total ÷ (1 + rate).
Inputs explained
- Tax-inclusive total — The final amount you paid, including sales tax.
- Sales tax rate — The sales tax percentage that was applied.
How to use it
- Fill in the fields above — each input has a hint describing exactly what to enter
- Press Calculate to get your result instantly, right on this page
- Copy the result, save the tool to favorites, or share and embed it anywhere
Understanding the result
Example: A $107.00 total at a 7% tax rate breaks down to a $100.00 pre-tax price and $7.00 of tax.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I just multiply the total by the tax rate to find the tax paid? Multiplying the total directly by the tax rate overstates the tax, because the total already includes tax; you have to divide by (1 + rate) first to recover the pre-tax price, then subtract it from the total.
Does this work if multiple tax rates were combined on the receipt (state + local)? Yes, as long as you enter the combined effective tax rate as a single percentage, the formula treats it the same as one flat sales tax rate.
Is the Reverse Sales Tax Calculator free to use? Yes — it is completely free, with no sign-up, no download and no usage limits. You can use it as often as you need.
Is my data private? Yes. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — the values you enter are never sent to our servers, stored or shared with anyone.
What information do I need? Just the following: Tax-inclusive total, Sales tax rate. Each field includes a hint explaining exactly what to enter.
Can I use it on my phone? Yes — the tool is fully responsive and works on any device, and the same calculator is available in the EasyWorkCalcs mobile app.
Privacy
Everything you enter into the Reverse Sales Tax Calculator is processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or shared — your data stays on your device.