California Sales Tax Calculator
The California state base sales-tax rate is 7.25% (Tax Foundation 2026). This page presets that BASE rate only: county, city and district taxes are additional almost everywhere in California, so the combined rate at a real checkout is higher — enter the combined rate in the main Sales Tax Calculator when you know it. Groceries for home consumption are exempt from California sales tax, and most prescription medicines are exempt too.
California Sales Tax Calculator reference last updated · reference source
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Currency: Amounts are calculated in the currency you select; this site does not convert between currencies and does not use live exchange rates.
Dated static reference; no live data is fetched. Verify current source values and assumptions before relying on results.
What this tool does
The California state base sales-tax rate is 7.25% (Tax Foundation 2026). This page presets that BASE rate only: county, city and district taxes are additional almost everywhere in California, so the combined rate at a real checkout is higher — enter the combined rate in the main Sales Tax Calculator when you know it. Groceries for home consumption are exempt from California sales tax, and most prescription medicines are exempt too.
How to use the California Sales Tax Calculator
- Check Sales tax (%): 7.25.
- Check Pre-tax price: 100.
- Review the California Sales Tax Calculator result and its exact-value comparison table.
- Verify assumptions before applying the result.
Formula
tax=price×rate/100; total=price+tax
- amount
- Pre-tax price
- rate
- Sales tax (%)
Uses your entered combined local tax rate; not a jurisdiction tax lookup.
Worked example
California Sales Tax Calculator: Sales tax (%) = 7.25; Pre-tax price = 100. The California state base sales-tax rate is 7.25% (Tax Foundation 2026). This page presets that BASE rate only: county, city and district taxes are additional almost everywhere in California, so the combined rate at a real checkout is higher — enter the combined rate in the main Sales Tax Calculator when you know it. Groceries for home consumption are exempt from California sales tax, and most prescription medicines are exempt too.
Inputs
- Pre-tax price100
- Sales tax (%)7.25
Result
- Tax-inclusive total$107.25
- Sales tax$7.25
California sales tax reference (2026)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| State base rate | 7.25% |
| Tax on $100 at the base rate | $7.25 |
| Total on $100 at the base rate | $107.25 |
| Local (county/city/district) taxes | Additional — NOT included in the preset rate |
Results explained
- Tax-inclusive total
- Tax-inclusive total from the formula above. Uses your entered combined local tax rate; not a jurisdiction tax lookup.
- Sales tax
- Sales tax from the formula above. Uses your entered combined local tax rate; not a jurisdiction tax lookup.
Frequently asked questions
The state base rate is 7.25% (Tax Foundation 2026). Most purchases also carry county, city or district taxes on top, so the combined rate you actually pay in California is higher than 7.25%.
At the 7.25% state base rate alone, $100 × 7.25% = $7.25 of tax, a $107.25 total. Add your local rate for the real checkout figure.
No — deliberately. Local rates vary by address within the state, so this page presets only the state base rate and labels it as such. Use the main Sales Tax Calculator with your combined local rate for an exact figure.
Groceries for home consumption are exempt from California sales tax, and most prescription medicines are exempt too.
Divide the total by 1.0725 at the base rate — for a $107.25 total that returns the $100 pre-tax price. With local tax included, divide by 1 plus the combined rate instead.