VAT Calculator

Adding VAT

To add VAT, multiply the net price by the VAT rate: at 20%, a £100 item has £20 VAT and costs £120 in total. The calculator does this for any rate, including reduced rates such as 5% on some goods.

Removing VAT (reverse VAT)

Removing VAT is where most mistakes happen. You cannot simply take 20% off a VAT-inclusive price. Instead, divide the gross price by 1 plus the rate: £120 ÷ 1.20 = £100 net, so the VAT is £20. Taking 20% off £120 would give £96, which is wrong. Choose "Remove VAT" and the calculator uses the correct formula.

Standard VAT rates

The buttons fill in standard rates for common countries: the UK (20%), Germany (19%), France (20%), Italy (22%), Spain (21%), the Netherlands (21%), Ireland (23%), the UAE (5%), Saudi Arabia (15%), South Africa (15%) and GST in Australia (10%), New Zealand (15%), Singapore (9%) and Canada (5% federal). Many countries also have reduced rates for food, books or energy, and rates change from time to time, so check the official rate for your product before filing a return.

Who uses a VAT calculator

Freelancers and small businesses use it to write invoices and quotes, shoppers use it to check prices and refunds, and travellers use it to estimate tax-free shopping refunds. To create an invoice, try the invoice generator or quotation generator. For US state sales tax, use the sales tax calculator, and for India, the GST calculator.

VAT on invoices

A VAT invoice normally shows the net amount, the VAT rate, the VAT amount and the gross total separately, along with the supplier's VAT registration number. Businesses registered for VAT can usually reclaim the VAT they pay on business purchases, so keeping the net and VAT figures apart matters. Rounding rules differ by country; most tax authorities allow rounding the VAT total on an invoice to the nearest penny or cent.