Find the Real Sale Price
Shopping a sale? This discount calculator shows exactly what you will pay. Enter the original price, quantity, discount percentage, an optional extra discount (like "take an additional 20% off sale prices") and your sales tax rate. It shows the sale price before tax, the sales tax, the final price and your total savings in dollars and as a percentage.
How Discounts and Sales Tax Are Calculated
Example: an $80 jacket at 25% off is $60. An extra 20% off brings it to $48, so you save $32, or 40% in total, not 45%. With 7% sales tax ($3.36), you pay $51.36.
- Sale price = original price × (1 − discount %).
- An extra discount is applied to the already-reduced price, not the original price.
- Sales tax = sale price × tax rate. Final price = sale price + sales tax.
Smart Shopping Tips
- Stacked discounts are always worth less than their sum: 30% + 20% off is 44% off, not 50%.
- Compare unit prices, not just discounts. A smaller discount on a cheaper item can be the better deal.
- Check whether coupons apply before or after other discounts, since stores handle them differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate a percentage off in my head?
Find 10% by moving the decimal point one place left, then multiply. For 30% off $60, 10% is $6, so 30% is $18 and the sale price is $42.
Is sales tax charged on the original price or the sale price?
In most U.S. states, sales tax is charged on the price you actually pay after store discounts. Manufacturer coupons can be handled differently depending on the state.
How do I find the original price from a sale price?
Divide the sale price by (1 − discount as a decimal). If an item costs $45 after 25% off, the original price was $45 ÷ 0.75 = $60. Our Percentage Calculator can also do this.