Free · 2026 · 7.25% base + district taxes

California Sales Tax Calculator 2026

Add or reverse sales tax on any purchase — 7.25% state base plus city and county district taxes. Groceries and prescription medicine handled correctly.

🛒 Calculate California Sales Tax
April 1, 2026 update: Santa Clara County Measure A added 0.625% — San Jose is now 9.75% (was 9.125%). For an exact address rate, the authoritative source is the CDTFA address lookup.
Groceries and prescription drugs are exempt under RTC §§ 6359 & 6369.
Major-city combined rates as of April 1, 2026. Verify exact address with CDTFA.
Total with Tax
Pre-tax price
State (6.00%)
Bradley-Burns local (1.00%)
County LTF (0.25%)
District tax
Total tax
Total with tax
Effective rate

Estimate using major-city combined rates as of April 1, 2026. The authoritative source is CDTFA's address lookup. Rates change quarterly with district-tax measures.

Understanding California Sales Tax

California has the highest state sales tax base in the country and layers voter-approved district taxes on top, which is why the rate at one address can differ from the rate two blocks away. The calculator above breaks any purchase into its parts so you can see exactly where the tax goes.

The 7.25% State Base, Broken Down

Every California taxable sale starts at the 7.25% statewide minimum:

ComponentRateWhere it goes
State (General Fund + Local Revenue Fund)6.00%California General Fund, county realignment programs
Bradley-Burns local1.00%City of sale, or county if unincorporated
County Local Transportation Fund (LTF)0.25%County transportation projects
State minimum total7.25%

District Taxes — Why Rates Vary So Much

On top of the 7.25% base, cities, counties, and special districts can ask voters to approve district taxes between 0.10% and 2.00% to fund things like public safety, affordable housing, transit, or general government services. They are administered by CDTFA but allocated locally. Combined rates today range from the bare 7.25% in many rural areas to 10.75% in Long Beach and similar high-stack cities.

Major-City Combined Rates (April 1, 2026)

CityCountyCombined Rate
Long BeachLos Angeles10.75%
Los AngelesLos Angeles10.25%
Santa MonicaLos Angeles10.25%
Burbank / Glendale / PasadenaLos Angeles10.25%
Oakland / Berkeley / FremontAlameda10.25%
San JoseSanta Clara9.75% (↑ Apr 2026)
Beverly HillsLos Angeles9.50%
Santa AnaOrange9.25%
StocktonSan Joaquin9.00%
SacramentoSacramento8.75%
RiversideRiverside8.75%
San FranciscoSan Francisco8.625%
FresnoFresno8.35%
BakersfieldKern8.25%
San Diego / Anaheim / IrvineSan Diego / Orange7.75%

Rates change every quarter with new district measures. Always confirm a specific address with CDTFA's lookup before invoicing or filing.

April 1, 2026 Changes

The biggest 2026 change was Santa Clara County's Measure A, a five-eighths-cent (0.625%) county-wide tax passed by 57% of voters in November 2025. It lifted San Jose and the rest of Santa Clara County from 9.125% to 9.75%. Smaller city-level updates also took effect in Campbell, Dunsmuir, Los Gatos, McFarland, Milpitas, and Santa Fe Springs.

What Is and Isn't Taxed

Online and Out-of-State Purchases

California has a use tax that mirrors the sales tax for goods shipped into the state. Large online retailers now collect California tax at checkout based on the buyer's delivery address. If a seller does not collect it, you owe use tax when you file your California income tax return.

Add Tax vs Reverse — When to Use Each

Use Add tax when you know a pre-tax shelf price and want to know the total at the register. Use Reverse when you have a final total from a receipt and want to back out the tax — the calculator divides by (1 + rate) so the math is exact.

Frequently Asked Questions — California Sales Tax

The statewide base is 7.25% (the highest state base in the U.S.): 6.00% state, 1.00% Bradley-Burns local, and 0.25% county Local Transportation Fund. Cities and counties commonly add district taxes of 0.10%–2.00%, bringing combined rates to roughly 7.25%–10.75% depending on address.
As of 2026 the highest combined rate is 10.75% in Long Beach and a few other Los Angeles County cities that stack multiple district taxes. LA, Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Berkeley, Fremont, and Oakland sit at 10.25%. San Francisco is 8.625% with fewer district add-ons.
Santa Clara County Measure A (57% voter approval in Nov 2025) added 0.625% county-wide, lifting San Jose from 9.125% to 9.75% and similar increases county-wide. Smaller city updates also took effect in Campbell, Dunsmuir, Los Gatos, McFarland, Milpitas, and Santa Fe Springs.
Most groceries are exempt under RTC § 6359 — food products sold to be taken home and eaten there (fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, eggs, packaged groceries). Hot prepared food, restaurant meals, carbonated soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are taxable.
No. RTC § 6369 exempts prescription medicines dispensed by a licensed physician or pharmacy, including insulin and medical oxygen. Over-the-counter medicine without a prescription is still taxable.
Use Reverse mode. Pre-tax = total ÷ (1 + rate). For example, a $100.00 total at LA's 10.25% works back to $90.71 pre-tax with $9.29 of tax — the same math the receipt uses.
A voter-approved additional sales and use tax (0.10%–2.00%) levied by a city, county, or special district to fund local services. CDTFA administers it but allocates the revenue locally, which is why combined rates vary between cities and even between zones inside a city. CDTFA's address lookup at maps.cdtfa.ca.gov gives the exact rate for any address.
For in-store retail, the seller's location sets the rate. For deliveries to a California address — including online — the destination city's combined rate applies. That is why your online order is taxed at your home city's rate, not the seller's.
Yes. California has a use tax mirroring the sales tax on taxable goods brought into the state. Most large online retailers collect it at checkout. If they don't, you owe use tax on your California income tax return.
Yes. Unlike Pennsylvania or New Jersey, California taxes most clothing at the full combined rate. There is no general clothing exemption — the main exemptions are unprepared food, prescription drugs, certain medical supplies, and a narrow list of specific items.
CDTFA's Find a Sales and Use Tax Rate by Address tool at maps.cdtfa.ca.gov — it is updated quarterly and reflects every district tax. This page shows major-city combined rates as of April 1, 2026; always verify the exact address rate at CDTFA before invoicing or filing.
Last updated: April 2026  ·  Sources: CDTFA city & county rate list, CDTFA address lookup, CDTFA — Bradley-Burns & district taxes, Sales & Use Tax Regulations, Art. 8 (exemptions)