Published: 31 October 2026 · Updated: 31 October 2026
A $100 purchase in Houston costs $108.25 at the till — 6.25% Texas state sales tax plus 2% local tax, hitting the state's 8.25% combined cap. Outside city limits the same purchase can cost as little as $106.25, so the delivery address decides the total. Enter your own price below.
Texas sales tax is 6.25% at state level, with local taxes adding up to 2% for a maximum combined rate of 8.25%. Most major Texas cities sit at the full 8.25%; this calculator adds or reverses the tax at any Texas rate, instantly and free.
Researched by MixKhazana Team · Last updated 31 October 2026 · Data: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts 2026 sales tax rates: 6.25% state + up to 2% local, 8.25% combined cap
This calculator works out Texas sales and use tax on any purchase. Texas charges a 6.25% state sales tax on most retail sales of tangible goods and certain services, and cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts may add local taxes up to a combined 2% — but state law caps the total at 8.25%, so no Texas address pays more than that. Most large cities, including Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, charge the full 8.25%, while rural areas without city or transit taxes can sit as low as the 6.25% state rate. Texas has no state income tax, which is exactly why sales tax carries so much weight in the state's revenue: every taxable purchase at the till is where Texas collects. Remote sellers with over $500,000 of Texas revenue in the previous 12 months must collect, and they may elect a flat 1.75% single local use rate — 8% combined — instead of tracking every jurisdiction.
Adding tax: Tax = Net price × rate, and Total = Net price × (1 + rate). Removing tax: Net price = Total ÷ (1 + rate), and Tax = Total − Net price. So at Houston's 8.25% combined rate, $100 net becomes $100 × 1.0825 = $108.25, while $108.25 at the till strips back to $108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100 net with $8.25 of tax. The state/local split inside that 8.25% is 6.25% state + 2% local — the split matters for filing, but the customer only ever sees the combined total.
Sofia buys a $250 jacket in Dallas, where the combined rate is the full 8.25%:
Had Sofia bought the same jacket where only the state rate applies, she would have paid $265.63 — $5 less. Try the widget with $250 at 6.25% to see the difference.
| Area / case | Split | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio | 6.25% + 2.00% local | 8.25% |
| Remote seller, single local use rate | 6.25% + 1.75% local | 8.00% |
| Area with 1% local tax | 6.25% + 1.00% local | 7.25% |
| No local tax (state rate only) | 6.25% + 0% | 6.25% |
Texas charges a 6.25% state sales tax, and local jurisdictions can add up to 2% more, for a maximum combined rate of 8.25%. Most major Texas cities — Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio — charge the full 8.25% combined rate. Rural areas without city or transit taxes can be as low as the 6.25% state rate.
In Houston the combined rate is 8.25%, so a $100 net purchase carries $8.25 of sales tax and costs $108.25 at the till. The split is $6.25 state tax plus $2.00 local tax. Enter your own price and city rate in the calculator above.
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate: at 8.25%, net = total ÷ 1.0825 and tax = total − net. So $108.25 ÷ 1.0825 = $100 net with $8.25 of tax. Select “Remove sales tax” in the calculator and enter the till total.
Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio all charge the maximum 8.25% combined rate, and most other large Texas cities are at or near it. Smaller towns and unincorporated areas often charge less, sometimes just the 6.25% state rate — the delivery address, not the store, decides the rate for shipped goods.
Most unprepared grocery food is exempt in Texas, along with prescription medicines and certain other necessities. Most tangible goods and some services — including data processing and amusement services — are taxable. Exemptions are item-specific, so check the Texas Comptroller's guidance before assuming a purchase is tax-free.
Remote sellers may elect a flat 1.75% local rate instead of tracking every city and county, giving a simple 8% combined rate (6.25% state + 1.75% local). Economic nexus applies to sellers with more than $500,000 of Texas revenue in the previous 12 months.
The 6.25% state rate, the up-to-2% local add-on and the 8.25% combined cap are administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. For the exact rate at a specific address, use the Comptroller's tax rate locator — city and special-district boundaries change the local slice.