Pennsylvania levies a flat 6% state sales tax on most retail purchases of tangible goods and taxable services. Unlike many states, Pennsylvania keeps its local sales-tax picture unusually simple: only two jurisdictions — Philadelphia and Allegheny County (the Pittsburgh area) — impose an additional local surcharge on top of the state rate. Everywhere else in the Commonwealth, the rate you pay at the register is simply 6%.
This calculator handles both directions: Add mode computes the sales tax owed on a net (pre-tax) price and shows the total you will pay, while Remove / reverse mode peels the tax back out of a receipt total to reveal the underlying pre-tax amount. Both modes split the breakdown into state and local components, so you can see exactly how much of your tax bill belongs to Pennsylvania versus your county or city.
How it works
Add tax (net to gross): The calculator multiplies your pre-tax amount by the combined rate.
tax = pre-tax amount × (combined rate ÷ 100)
total = pre-tax amount + tax
For example, a $200 jacket purchased in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County, 7% combined): tax = $200 × 0.07 = $14.00, total = $214.00.
Remove / reverse tax (gross to net): The calculator divides the receipt total by (1 + combined rate) to isolate the pre-tax base.
pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + combined rate ÷ 100)
tax = total − pre-tax
The same $214.00 receipt in Allegheny County: pre-tax = $214.00 ÷ 1.07 = $200.00, tax = $214.00 − $200.00 = $14.00.
Pennsylvania local rates at a glance
| Location | State | Local add-on | Combined total |
|---|---|---|---|
| All other counties (65 of 67) | 6% | — | 6% |
| Allegheny County (Pittsburgh area) | 6% | +1% | 7% |
| Philadelphia (City + SEPTA) | 6% | +2% | 8% |
Philadelphia’s 2% local component is split equally: a 1% City Sales & Use Tax remitted to the City of Philadelphia, and a 1% SEPTA surcharge collected to fund the regional transit authority. Allegheny County’s 1% surcharge is levied by the county government.
Worked example
You pay for a $350 laptop in Philadelphia. Combined rate is 8%.
- State tax (6%): $350 × 0.06 = $21.00
- Local tax (2%): $350 × 0.02 = $7.00
- Total sales tax: $28.00
- Total at the register: $378.00
Now reverse it: you have a Philadelphia receipt for $378.00 and want the pre-tax price.
- Pre-tax = $378.00 ÷ 1.08 = $350.00
- Tax = $378.00 − $350.00 = $28.00
The calculator matches these figures exactly and lets you copy the full breakdown in one click.
All calculations run in your browser — no figures are sent to any server. For official guidance, visit revenue.pa.gov or consult a qualified tax professional before filing.