Sales Tax Calculator: A brief introduction of Sales Tax and its history

A tax paid to a governing body to sell or lease certain goods and services is called a sales tax. This tax is usually collected from the consumer or end-user right at the point of purchase as per the law. There is no unified general sales tax as state governments regulate sales taxes on their own.

Generally, Sales tax is computed by multiplying the purchase price by the appropriate tax rate, and then the tax is collected at the time of selling the product or service. Only at the retail level is a sales tax levied. The sales tax may continue to be applied to the same item indefinitely in situations where merchandise is sold at retail more than once, such as with used cars.

Sales Tax = price of item x Sales tax rate

How was sales tax introduced in America?

In the 18th century, when America was under British rule, the English King taxed the American colonists on various goods even though they were not represented in the British government. The Boston Tea Party was among many to bring taxation without representation, among other things. This gave rise to the American Revolution. Thus, the debate over a sales tax had a role in the formation of the United States.

Right from the American Revolution, the history of sales taxes has never been maintained and that’s the reason different states have different sales tax according to their need in revenue generation.

Only after the Great Depression was this sales tax introduced to raise revenue for the government. Sales tax was brought as an economic policy in 1930, and due to it tested positive rate that was quickly adopted in the entire nation. Mississippi was the first to adopt it in 1930.

Today, sales tax is prevalent in the entire nation as it is proven to be an efficient tax base to generate revenue for local as well as state governments.

Both sellers and buyers who need to calculate their sales tax can use this sales calculator to know how much percentage they need to pay.

The Sales Tax Calculator can calculate based on the before-tax price, the sale tax rate, and the final or after-tax price. The user must feed any two details to get the desired output.

For instance:The before-tax price of a shoe is $899, and the after-tax price is $920, so we can compute the sales tax rate of 2.34% or $21.

Depending on the state and the kind of commodity or service, the sales tax rate can range from 0% to 16%, and each state has a different system for enforcing the tax. Edible seeds and medication are free from sales tax in Texas. The normal sales tax in Vermont is 6%; however, purchases of alcoholic beverages that are immediately consumed are subject to an extra 10% tax. Taxes are handled differently in various jurisdictions. Different states have different sales tax regulations, laws and procedures.

Americans are typically subject to a sales tax that takes 2% of their personal income. Sales tax is the main reason for revenue generation in almost all states and it is this tax that contributes close to one-third of their total income. States differ greatly in how much they rely on sales tax.

Based on the estimation, over half of the tax revenue in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington come from the sales tax, and several of these states get close to 60% of their tax revenue from this source. On the other hand, New York only generates roughly 20% of its income from sales tax.

Most intangible property payments are exempt from most sales tax regulations. Some states impose taxes on specific types of licenses or transfers of intangible property. The licensing of "shrink wrap" software is a typical transaction subject to sales tax. State courts have frequently determined that many transactions of intangible rights should be regarded as subject to sales tax where they are not expressly exempt.

States with the highest tax rate in America are

1. Puerto Rico -10.5% (commonwealth)

2. California - 7.25%

3. Indiana - 7%

4. Mississippi - 7%

5. Rhode Island - 7%

6. Tennessee - 7%

7. Minnesota - 6.88%

8. Nevada - 6.85%

9. New Jersey - 6.63%

10. Arkansas - 6.5%

11. Kansas - 6.5%

States with the lowest tax rate in America are

1. Alaska -0%

2. Delaware – 0%

3. Montana – 0%

4. New Hampshire – 0%

5. Oregon -0%

6. Colorado – 2.9%

7. Georgia- 4%

8. New York -4%

9. Wyoming – 4%

10. South Dakota – 4%

11. Guam – 4%

To calculate sales tax

As a resident of California, you go to a retailer and purchase a waffle maker for $100, for which you are supposed to pay a sales tax of 7.25%

1. Divide the sales tax percentage by 100 as

7.25/100 = 0.0725

2. Multiply the waffle maker Cost by 0.0725 as

$100* 0.0725=$7.25

3. So $7.25 is the sales tax amount that you need to pay in addition to the Cost of the product

$100+$7.25 = $107.25

As a California resident, you are supposed to purchase the waffle maker for $107.25, and the retailer must pay $7.25 to the government as sales tax collected from the purchaser. We have this sales tax calculator to help you handle zero errors to make your sales tax calculations easy.

Sales tax and use tax

In circumstances where sales tax is not paid, the states that impose sales taxes also impose a similar tax on purchasers of taxable goods or services. Sales taxes and use taxes are essentially the same things. Regardless of where tangible personal property may have been obtained, the sales and use taxes create a standard tax upon either the sale or the use of all tangible personal property. Some states allow the use of sales taxes paid in other states on purchases to offset use taxes owed in the state of the taxpayer.

Unless the buyer provides the seller with proof that the purchase is tax-exempt, they must pay sales tax (exemption certificate). The certificate must be written on a state-approved form. The Uniform Sales and Use Tax Certificate issued by the Multistate Tax Commission has been approved for use in 38 states.

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