California Sales Tax Calculator
Calculate California sales tax (7.25% minimum state rate, excluding local taxes) on an amount. Add the tax or break out what is already included.
Result
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California sales tax: how the rate is built
California's statewide base rate of 7.25% is the highest state base anywhere in the US. It breaks down into 6% state and 1.25% mandatory local. Then cities, counties and special districts pile on their own district taxes, pushing the total to somewhere between 7.25% and 10.25%. A few examples: San Francisco sits at 8.625%, Los Angeles at 9.5%, Long Beach at 10.25%, Fresno at 8.35%. The math itself is nothing fancy — total = price · (1 + rate). So a $100 product in LA rings up at $109.50.
European VAT works differently. US sales tax goes "on top" of the pre-tax price rather than being baked into the base, and it only hits the final sale to the consumer. There's no input-credit mechanism to claw anything back. A seller has to register, collect and remit once they have nexus in the state, meaning physical presence or, since the Wayfair ruling in 2018, an economic threshold above $500k in CA annual sales.
Common applications
Pricing US e-commerce for California buyers. Drop shipping from Chinese suppliers to CA addresses. Shopify and Amazon FBA sellers working out their nexus. SaaS billing in cases where digital goods are taxable in CA. Brazilian exporters routing through California 3PL warehouses.
FAQ
Why does the rate change by ZIP code? Because district taxes get voted on at the city and county level. Two addresses in the same city can end up with different rates. The CDTFA publishes the official lookup tool if you need to check.
Are groceries taxed? Most unprepared food is exempt in California. Prepared food, soft drinks and alcohol, though, get hit with the full rate.
Do I need to charge sales tax as a foreign seller? If you have economic nexus (over $500k in CA sales) or physical inventory sitting in the state via FBA, then yes. You'll need to register with CDTFA and collect.
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The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.