Free Pennsylvania Sales Tax Calculator
Published: 7 November 2026 · Updated: 7 November 2026
A $100 purchase in Pennsylvania at the average combined rate of 6.34% costs $106.34 — $6.34 of sales tax. Pennsylvania's state rate is a flat 6%, and only two places add anything: Philadelphia runs 8% and Pittsburgh 7%. Pick your rate below and add or reverse the tax instantly.
Pennsylvania is the simplest sales-tax state in the Northeast. One 6% state rate, just two local add-ons — 8% in Philadelphia, 7% in Pittsburgh — and clothing is tax-free statewide. The 6.34% average combined rate ranks only 34th in the US. If you shop outside the two big cities, the rate is always 6%.
Researched by MixKhazana Team · Last updated 7 November 2026 · Data: Tax Foundation midyear 2026, PA Dept. of Revenue REV-717
How to use
- Enter the price in dollars.
- Choose the sales tax rate — the 6.34% statewide average, the 6% state rate alone, Philadelphia's 8% or Pittsburgh's 7%.
- Pick Add tax for a before-tax price or Remove tax for a tax-inclusive receipt total.
- Click Calculate Pennsylvania Sales Tax for the tax amount and the total.
How it works
Pennsylvania's sales tax is the simplest in the Northeast, and the reason is structural: Pennsylvania is not a home-rule state for sales tax. The state sets one flat 6% rate, and only two jurisdictions in the whole state are allowed to add anything on top — Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) adds 1%, for 7% in total, and Philadelphia adds 2%, for 8% in total. Everywhere else — all 65 other counties — the rate is exactly 6%. Compare that with our Ohio sales tax calculator, where all 88 counties add their own tax and the total runs from 5.75% to 8%, or Georgia, where the range is 6% to 9%. In Pennsylvania there is nothing to look up beyond the city you are in.
The population-weighted average combined rate of 6.34% is really just an average of those three numbers — most Pennsylvanians pay 6%, a smaller share pays 7% in Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia's 8% pulls the average up a little. That 6.34% ranks Pennsylvania 34th highest in the US, well below the national midpoint of about 7%. The other thing that makes Pennsylvania unusual is what it does not tax: most clothing and footwear is exempt — one of the few states to do so — along with groceries (food for home consumption) and prescription drugs. That is why a $250 jacket in Philadelphia costs $250, not $270: the clothing exemption beats the 8% rate entirely.
The formula is simple in both directions: total = price × (1 + rate) and price before tax = total ÷ (1 + rate), with tax = total − price before tax. At the 6.34% average, $100 becomes $106.34; in Philadelphia at 8%, $100 becomes $108.00; at the 6% state rate alone, $100 becomes $106.00. In reverse, a $106.34 receipt at 6.34% is $100.00 before tax — the calculator does that split for you. One 2026 change to know: since 1 October 2026, under Act 21 of 2026, the rate is based on the customer's delivery address, not the seller's location — so an order shipped to Philadelphia is taxed at 8% even if the shop is elsewhere in the state.
Worked example
Emma buys a $250 television in four Pennsylvania places in 2026:
- State rate only (6%): tax $15.00 → total $265.00
- Statewide average combined (6.34%): tax $15.85 → total $265.85
- Pittsburgh (7.00%): tax $17.50 → total $267.50
- Philadelphia (8.00%): tax $20.00 → total $270.00
- The same television costs $5.00 more in Philadelphia than at the state rate alone — and if it were a $250 jacket instead, it would cost $250.00 everywhere, because clothing is exempt
- Reverse check: her $265.85 receipt at 6.34% is $265.85 ÷ 1.0634 = $250.00 before tax, with $15.85 of tax inside
Try your own numbers in the widget: switch the rate to Philadelphia and the $100 default becomes $108.00.
Figures used here
| Figure | 2026 value |
|---|---|
| State sales tax rate | 6.00% |
| Average local rate (population-weighted) | 0.34% |
| Average combined rate | 6.34% (rank 34 of 51) |
| Combined rate range | 6% – 8% |
| Philadelphia combined rate | 8.00% |
| Pittsburgh / Allegheny County combined rate | 7.00% |
| National average combined rate | ~7.53% |
| Clothing, groceries & prescription drugs | Exempt |
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Pennsylvania in 2026?
Pennsylvania's state sales tax rate is 6% in 2026. Only two places add a local tax on top: Allegheny County adds 1% (7% in Pittsburgh) and Philadelphia adds 2% (8% in the city). Everywhere else in the state the rate is a flat 6%. The population-weighted average combined rate is 6.34%, which ranks 34th highest in the US.
What is the sales tax in Philadelphia in 2026?
Philadelphia's combined sales tax rate is 8% in 2026: the 6% state rate plus a 2% city tax. On a $100 purchase in Philadelphia you pay $8.00 in tax, for a $108.00 total. Philadelphia is the only city in Pennsylvania with a 2% local add-on, and it is the highest rate anywhere in the state.
What is the sales tax in Pittsburgh in 2026?
Pittsburgh, in Allegheny County, charges a combined sales tax rate of 7% in 2026: the 6% state rate plus a 1% county tax. On a $100 purchase in Pittsburgh you pay $7.00 in tax, for a $107.00 total. Allegheny County is the only county in Pennsylvania with a local sales tax add-on.
How much is sales tax on $100 in Pennsylvania?
At Pennsylvania's average combined rate of 6.34%, a $100 purchase costs $106.34 — $6.34 of tax. At the 6% state rate alone it is $106.00. In Pittsburgh at 7% it is $107.00, and in Philadelphia at 8% it is $108.00. The calculator above works for any amount: pick a rate for your city.
Is clothing taxed in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania famously exempts most clothing and footwear from sales tax — one of the few states to do so. Groceries (food for home consumption) and prescription drugs are also exempt. The exemption covers everyday clothing; formal wear rentals and some accessories are taxed, so the details depend on the item.
How do I reverse-calculate Pennsylvania sales tax?
Divide the tax-inclusive price by 1 plus the rate. A $106.34 receipt at the 6.34% average combined rate is $106.34 ÷ 1.0634 = $100.00 before tax, so $6.34 of the receipt is tax. Pick 'Remove tax (price includes tax)' in the calculator above and it does the split for you at any rate.
Why is Pennsylvania's sales tax so simple compared with other states?
Pennsylvania is not a home-rule state for sales tax: the state sets one 6% rate, and only two jurisdictions are allowed to add anything — Allegheny County (1%) and Philadelphia (2%). In most states, every county and city can add its own tax, which is why Ohio has 88 different county rates and Georgia's range runs from 6% to 9%.
What official sources are the 2026 Pennsylvania rates based on?
The 6% state rate, the 0.34% population-weighted average local rate and the 6.34% combined average come from the Tax Foundation's midyear 2026 compilation of state revenue department data (rates as of 1 July 2026). The 8% Philadelphia and 7% Allegheny County figures are set by Pennsylvania law (53 P.S. § 12720.501 and 16 P.S. § 6152-B) and confirmed in the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's Retailer's Information guide REV-717.