Kentucky Reverse Sales Tax Calculator
Kentucky levies a flat 6% sales tax with no local additions. Every purchase in the state — Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, or any rural area — is taxed at exactly 6%. This makes Kentucky one of the easiest states for reverse calculations: always divide by 1.06.
There are no county or city sales taxes in Kentucky, so no adjustments needed based on location. Unprepared groceries are exempt from the 6% rate. Restaurant meals and prepared food are taxed in full. The calculator is pre-filled with 6%.
Current Kentucky Sales Tax Rates
| Component | Rate |
|---|---|
| State rate | 6.00% |
| Local rate | None |
| Combined rate | 6.00% |
What's Taxable in Kentucky
Kentucky exempts most groceries from sales tax. Prepared food and restaurant meals are taxed at the full 6% rate. Prescription drugs are also exempt. Non-prescription drugs are taxable.
Worked Example
Any purchase in Kentucky totaling $79.98 at the flat 6.00% rate.
$79.98 ÷ 1.0600 = $75.45 (pre-tax price)
$79.98 − $75.45 = $4.53 (tax amount)
That's $4.53 in sales tax on a $75.45 purchase. Because Kentucky uses a flat rate, this calculation is the same regardless of city or county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Louisville's sales tax rate is 6% — Kentucky's flat state rate. There are no local sales taxes in Kentucky, so every city and county charges exactly the same 6%. Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and every other location in the state all apply the same rate.
Kentucky exempts most unprepared groceries from sales tax. Basic food items purchased at a grocery store for home preparation are tax-free. Prepared food — restaurant meals, fast food, hot deli items — is taxed at the full 6% rate. Prescription drugs are exempt; over-the-counter medications are taxable.
Divide the total amount paid by (1 + the tax rate as a decimal). For Kentucky's 6.00% rate: divide by 1.0600. The result is the pre-tax price. Subtract that from the total to get the tax amount. The calculator on this page does this automatically.
Kentucky does not have a general sales tax holiday.