sales tax

Sales tax is an extra amount of money you pay when you buy something. It's like a tax that goes to the government to help pay for things like roads, schools and public safety. When you buy something, the store adds a little extra to the price of the item which is the sales tax. It's usually a percentage such as 5% or 8%, so if you buy something that costs $20 and the sales tax rate is 5%, you'll have to pay an extra $1 (5% of 20 is 1). In the end you'll have to pay $21 ($20 + $1).