VAT calculator
Add VAT or sales tax to a net amount at whatever rate you need.
Calculator inputs
Results
Enter your values and press “Calculate” to see the result.
In short
- What it calculates
- Add VAT or sales tax to a net amount at whatever rate you need.
- Formula used
Tax = net × rate ÷ 100- Example
- Net amount of £1,000 with 20% VAT:
VAT calculator
Enter the net amount and your country's rate to get the tax and the total.
It works for UK and EU VAT, Latin American IGV or any percentage sales tax: you choose the rate.
How it works
The tax is the percentage applied to the net amount. The total is the sum of both. The multiplier lets you get the gross figure straight from the net one.
Formula
Tax = net × rate ÷ 100
Total = net + tax = net × (1 + rate/100)
Multiplier = 1 + rate/100
Worked example
Net amount of £1,000 with 20% VAT:
Tax: £200
Total: £1,200
Multiplier: 1.20
Explanation
The mistake of subtracting the percentage
It is by far the most widespread error. If a product costs 121 with twenty-one per cent included, the net amount is not 121 minus twenty-one per cent of 121, which would give 95.59. The net amount is 100, because the tax was calculated on it and not on the total. To undo it you divide by 1.21, never subtract.
How much of the price it really is
At a twenty-one per cent rate, the tax is 17.36 per cent of the final price, not twenty-one. At ten per cent it is 9.09. The higher the rate, the wider the gap between the two figures, and it is why quick mental arithmetic does not add up.
The same tax under many names
IVA in Spain and much of Latin America, IGV in Peru, ICMS in Brazil, ITBIS in the Dominican Republic, ITBMS in Panama, VAT across the English-speaking world, TVA in France, MwSt in Germany. The mechanics are identical: charged on sales and deducted on purchases.
Who actually bears it
A business does not bear the tax: it collects it. It remits what it charged minus what it paid, and the difference goes to the treasury. The one who truly pays is the final consumer, who cannot deduct it. That is why it is called an indirect tax.
Frequently asked questions
Which rate should I use?
The one in force in your country for that product or service. The tool imposes nothing: type the rate that applies.
Does it work for sales tax?
Yes. The mechanics are identical for any percentage sales tax; only the rate changes.
How do I remove VAT from a price?
Use the VAT-inclusive calculator. Dividing by 1.20 is not the same as subtracting 20%.
How much of a final price is tax at 20%?
Around 16.67 per cent of the total, not twenty. The higher the rate, the wider the gap between the two figures.
Does this calculator work for IGV or ICMS?
The mechanics are the same in almost every country. The exception is tax calculated from the inside, such as Brazilian ICMS, which has its own calculator.
Need to calculate something else?
These tools are often used alongside this calculator.
VAT included
Break a tax-inclusive price down into the net amount and the tax.
Add VAT
Turn a tax-exclusive price into the final price your customer sees.
Percentage
The four most common percentage calculations in a single tool.
Selling price
Set your price from the cost and the margin or markup you want to achieve.
Brazil ICMS
Add or remove Brazil ICMS at the rates in force.
Spain IVA
Add or remove Spain IVA at the rates in force.