Percent Off Calculator
Compute the sale price of an item after a percentage discount is applied. Shows the amount you save and the final price you pay.
Last updated: September 2026
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About this calculator
A percent-off discount reduces the price by the given percentage. If the original price is P and the discount is d percent, the sale price is P × (1 − d/100). The amount saved is P × (d/100), which is the difference between the two.
Two common traps are worth watching. Stacked discounts do not add: 20% off followed by another 20% off is 0.8 × 0.8 = 0.64, or 36% off, not 40% off. Sales tax is applied after the discount in the US and after VAT is applied inside VAT-inclusive prices in the EU, so the order matters for the final total.
For repeat percentage moves, the equivalent single rate is 1 − ∏(1 − dᵢ/100). Three chained 10%-off coupons give 1 − 0.9³ = 1 − 0.729 = 27.1% total off, not 30%.
How to use
Example — a $100 jacket at 20% off. Enter Original price = 100, Percent off = 20. Result = 100 × (1 − 0.20) = 100 × 0.80 = $80 sale price. Savings = $100 − $80 = $20. Check: 20% of 100 is 20, so paying 100 − 20 = 80 matches. Example — a $250 mattress at 35% off. Enter 250 and 35. Result = 250 × 0.65 = $162.50. Savings = $87.50. If your state also charges 8% sales tax, the taxed total is 162.50 × 1.08 = $175.50. To include VAT instead of US sales tax, use the VAT calculator at /en/calculators/financial/vat-calculator/.
Frequently asked questions
Do the sales tax and the discount stack?
In the US, the discount is applied first and sales tax is charged on the discounted price. Example: $100 at 20% off = $80, plus 8% tax = $86.40 total. Some states (Massachusetts, for one) have specific rules on 'buy one get one' promotions where the tax base is the total pre-discount. Check your state's rules for edge cases; the common case is discount-first.
How do stacked coupons work?
They multiply, not add. Two 20% off codes give 0.8 × 0.8 = 64% of the original price, so 36% off total. To combine chained discounts into a single equivalent rate, multiply the (1 − d/100) factors and subtract from 1. Three 10% discounts = 1 − 0.9³ = 27.1%, not 30%.
What does '30% off, an extra 20% off' mean at checkout?
It means the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. Original $100 → 30% off gives $70 → additional 20% off gives $56. Combined effective discount is 44%, not 50%.
How is percent off different from markup?
Percent off reduces from the retail price. Markup adds a percentage to the cost. A store buying at $50 and marking up 100% sells at $100; then applying 50% off brings it back to $50, exactly break-even for the store. The two operations are inverses only when the base is the same, which it usually is not.