Calculating sales tax in California involves understanding the different components that make up the total tax rate. The state has a base sales tax rate, which is supplemented by local district taxes (city and county). Businesses must collect these combined rates and remit them to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).
State Sales Tax: This is the base rate set by the state. As of recent updates, the statewide rate is 7.25%.
Local Taxes: Cities and counties can add their own district taxes, which are often referred to as "local taxes" or "district taxes." These can vary significantly by location. Some areas might have no additional local tax, while others can have several percentage points added.
Combined Rate: The rate you actually pay is the sum of the state rate and any applicable local district taxes. The CDTFA publishes official tax rate publications for all districts.
How the Calculator Works
Our calculator takes your purchase amount and the relevant state and local tax rates (expressed as percentages) to compute the exact sales tax due. It then adds this tax to your purchase amount to give you the final total cost.
Example:
Let's say you make a purchase of $150.00 in Los Angeles, California.
The California State Sales Tax Rate is 7.25%.
The Los Angeles City and County combined district tax rate is approximately 2.50%.
The calculator automates this process for you. Remember to use the correct local tax rate for the specific location where the sale occurs, as rates can differ even within the same county.
function calculateSalesTax() {
var purchaseAmountInput = document.getElementById("purchaseAmount");
var stateRateInput = document.getElementById("stateRate");
var localRateInput = document.getElementById("localRate");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
var resultValueDiv = document.getElementById("result-value");
var purchaseAmount = parseFloat(purchaseAmountInput.value);
var stateRate = parseFloat(stateRateInput.value);
var localRate = parseFloat(localRateInput.value);
if (isNaN(purchaseAmount) || purchaseAmount < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid purchase amount.");
purchaseAmountInput.focus();
return;
}
if (isNaN(stateRate) || stateRate < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid state sales tax rate.");
stateRateInput.focus();
return;
}
if (isNaN(localRate) || localRate < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid local sales tax rate.");
localRateInput.focus();
return;
}
var totalRate = stateRate + localRate;
var salesTaxAmount = purchaseAmount * (totalRate / 100);
var totalAmount = purchaseAmount + salesTaxAmount;
// Format currency
var formattedSalesTax = salesTaxAmount.toFixed(2);
var formattedTotalAmount = totalAmount.toFixed(2);
resultValueDiv.innerHTML = "$" + formattedTotalAmount + " (Tax: $" + formattedSalesTax + ")";
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
}