What is the Texas state sales tax rate?

Texas charges a statewide base sales tax of 6.25% on most retail sales, leases, and rentals of tangible personal property, and on certain taxable services. This rate is set by Texas Tax Code Section 151.051 and has been 6.25% since 1990. Local jurisdictions (cities, counties, special-purpose districts, and transit authorities) may add up to a combined 2%, making the maximum possible combined rate 8.25%.

What is the typical combined Texas sales tax rate?

The Tax Foundation estimates the average combined state-and-local sales tax rate in Texas at approximately 8.20% (2024 data). Most major Texas cities — including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth — charge the full 2% local add-on, giving a combined rate of 8.25% in those locations. Smaller cities or unincorporated areas may have lower local rates, or none at all, in which case only the 6.25% state rate applies.

Does Texas have a local sales tax on top of the 6.25% state rate?

Yes. Texas cities, counties, special-purpose districts (such as hospital or crime-control districts), and transit authorities can each levy their own sales tax, but the total local rate cannot exceed 2%. When you add the state 6.25% and the maximum 2% local, the ceiling combined rate is 8.25%. The calculator defaults to a 1.95% local rate as a reasonable statewide average; change it to your exact local rate for a precise figure.

How do I find my exact Texas local sales tax rate?

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts publishes the official sales and use tax rate by city, county, and ZIP code at comptroller.texas.gov. You can also call the Comptroller office or look up your jurisdiction in the Texas Sales Tax Rate Locator. For e-commerce and remote sellers, origin-based sourcing rules generally apply to in-state sellers, while destination-based rules apply to out-of-state sellers shipping into Texas.

How does the reverse (remove) calculation work?

When you know the tax-included total but need the pre-tax amount, the formula is: net = gross / (1 + combined rate). For example, if you paid $108.25 and the combined rate is 8.25%, the pre-tax amount is $108.25 / 1.0825 = $100.00, and the tax is $8.25. The "Back out tax from a total" mode performs this calculation automatically and splits the result into the state and local shares.

Are there any sales tax exemptions in Texas?

Texas exempts a broad range of goods and services from sales tax. Major categories include most food and food ingredients sold for home preparation (not restaurant meals), prescription drugs and certain over-the-counter medicines, agricultural items, manufacturing machinery used in production, and sales to exempt organizations such as qualifying nonprofits. Clothing is generally taxable, but Texas holds an annual sales tax holiday (usually in August) during which most clothing and footwear under $100 per item are exempt. Always verify exemption eligibility with the Texas Comptroller for your specific purchase.

Texas Sales Tax Calculator

Texas imposes a 6.25% statewide sales tax on most retail sales of tangible personal property and on many taxable services. On top of that, local jurisdictions — cities, counties, special-purpose districts, and transit authorities — can add up to 2% more in local sales tax, capped at a combined local rate of 2%. That means the maximum combined Texas sales tax rate is 8.25%, which is what shoppers pay in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth, among dozens of other major cities.

This calculator handles both directions: Add mode lets you find the final price from a pre-tax amount, and Remove (reverse) mode lets you extract the pre-tax figure and the exact tax amount when you already know the total you paid. The state rate is fixed at 6.25%; the local rate field defaults to 1.95% (a reasonable statewide average) and is fully editable so you can dial in the exact rate for your city or county.

How it works

Add tax (forward calculation)

Enter your pre-tax price. The calculator multiplies it by the combined rate:

State tax = net x 0.0625
Local tax = net x (local rate / 100)
Total tax = net x (combined rate / 100)
Grand total = net + total tax

Back out tax (reverse calculation)

Enter the tax-included total you actually paid. The calculator divides by (1 + combined rate):

Net pre-tax amount = gross / (1 + combined rate)
Total tax = gross - net
State and local shares are then split proportionally

Both modes show a full breakdown and a “Show the working” panel with the exact formula used.

Worked example

You buy a television in Austin, Texas. The sticker price (pre-tax) is $799.00. Austin levies the full 2% local rate, so the combined rate is 8.25%.

Item	Calculation	Amount
Pre-tax price	—	$799.00
Texas state tax (6.25%)	$799 x 0.0625	$49.94
Austin local tax (2.00%)	$799 x 0.02	$15.98
Total sales tax (8.25%)	$799 x 0.0825	$65.92
Total paid	$799 + $65.92	$864.92

Now suppose you are filing an expense report and you only have the receipt total of $864.92. Switch to Remove mode, enter $864.92 with an 8.25% combined rate, and the calculator immediately shows $799.00 net and $65.92 tax — no mental arithmetic required.

Texas state rate and typical combined rate

Component	Rate
Texas state base rate	6.25%
Maximum local add-on	2.00%
Maximum combined rate	8.25%
Texas statewide average combined rate	~8.20%

The statewide average of ~8.20% reflects that a handful of smaller jurisdictions charge less than the full 2% local maximum. If you are in an unincorporated area with no city tax, you may owe only the state 6.25%. Always verify your rate at the Texas Comptroller Sales Tax Rate Locator before collecting or remitting tax.

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