Sales tax can sneak up on you — especially with larger purchases. Knowing how to figure it out ahead of time can save you from sticker shock at the register. Just take the item’s price and multiply it ...

Compare what you paid in sales tax to your state and local taxes. Deduct the larger of the two. But there's a catch.

Intuit QuickBooks reports there are five states without a general sales tax: New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and ...