New Jersey applies a single flat sales tax of 6.625% across virtually the entire state — one of the simpler sales-tax landscapes in the US. Whether you are working out the final price on a purchase, reconciling a receipt, building a product price that already includes tax, or checking a business invoice, this calculator handles both directions instantly and entirely in your browser.
How New Jersey sales tax works
New Jersey’s statewide rate of 6.625% has been stable since 1 January 2018, when the legislature reduced it from 7% as part of a broader fiscal reform. Unlike most states, New Jersey prohibits municipalities and counties from adding their own sales-tax overlays, so the rate you pay at a store in Bergen County is identical to what you pay in Cape May County or Hudson County. There is no ZIP-code lookup needed for the vast majority of purchases.
The two meaningful exceptions are Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZ) and Salem County, both of which qualify for a reduced rate of 3.3125% — exactly half the standard rate. UEZs are state-designated districts inside economically distressed cities (parts of Newark, Camden, Trenton, Bridgeton, and others) intended to encourage retail and economic activity. Salem County receives the same benefit due to its border location and historic economic disadvantages.
Add mode vs. Remove mode
Add mode is for working out what you will pay at the register. Enter the pre-tax sticker price, confirm the rate, and the calculator returns the tax amount and the full total including tax.
Remove mode (also called reverse sales-tax calculation) is for extracting the pre-tax base from a total you already paid. This is useful when a receipt shows only the grand total, when a supplier quotes tax-inclusive prices, or when reconciling accounting entries. The formula is:
Pre-tax = Total ÷ (1 + rate)
For New Jersey’s standard rate: Pre-tax = Total ÷ 1.06625.
Worked example — standard rate
A New Jersey resident buys a laptop for $849.00 (pre-tax):
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Pre-tax price | $849.00 |
| NJ state sales tax (6.625%) | $56.25 |
| Local add-on | $0.00 |
| Total at register | $905.25 |
Now reversing: the receipt shows $905.25. In Remove mode: $905.25 ÷ 1.06625 = $849.00 pre-tax, confirming $56.25 in sales tax.
Worked example — Urban Enterprise Zone
The same laptop purchased inside a qualifying UEZ:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Pre-tax price | $849.00 |
| UEZ combined rate (3.3125%) | $28.13 |
| Total at register | $877.13 |
The UEZ saves the buyer $28.12 in sales tax on this single purchase.
New Jersey state base rate and typical combined rate
New Jersey’s state base rate is 6.625% (fixed since 2018). Because no general local add-ons exist, the typical combined rate is also 6.625% — the same figure you will see on most tax maps and in most comparisons. The Tax Foundation consistently ranks New Jersey as having one of the lowest combined rates among states that levy a sales tax, precisely because of this no-local-overlay policy.
For Urban Enterprise Zone and Salem County purchases the combined rate drops to 3.3125%.
What is and is not taxable in New Jersey
New Jersey’s exemptions are broad compared with many other states. Key exempt categories include most unprepared groceries, prescription drugs, many over-the-counter medicines, most clothing and footwear items under $110 per garment, and certain medical devices. Taxable items include prepared food and restaurant meals, alcohol, tobacco, most digital downloads, motor vehicles, and most professional services. When in doubt, consult the NJ Division of Taxation’s published exemption guides or a tax professional.
All calculations in this tool run in your browser. No figures are uploaded or stored.