Add VAT to a net price or strip it out of a VAT-inclusive amount. Pick a country preset for its standard rate or type in your own rate.
Remove VAT: Net = Gross ÷ (1 + Rate); VAT = Gross − Net
How to use the VAT calculator
Pick Add VAT if you have a net price (excluding VAT) and want the gross price your customer pays. Pick Remove VAT if you have a VAT-inclusive price — a shop price, a restaurant bill or a supplier invoice total — and want to know the net amount and the VAT inside it. Then choose a rate: select a country to use its standard VAT or GST rate, or keep Custom rate and type any rate, such as a reduced rate for food, books or energy.
VAT formulas
Remove VAT: Net = Gross ÷ (1 + Rate); VAT = Gross − Net
A useful shortcut for removing VAT is the VAT fraction: rate ÷ (100 + rate). At 20% that is 20/120 = 1/6, so the VAT in any 20%-inclusive price is one-sixth of it. At 5% the fraction is 5/105 = 1/21.
Worked examples
Adding VAT at 20%: a consultant invoices a net fee of £100. VAT is 100 × 0.20 = £20, so the invoice total is £120.
Removing VAT at 20%: a shop price is £120. The net price is 120 ÷ 1.20 = £100 and the VAT is £20. Notice that the VAT is not 20% of £120 (£24) — it is one-sixth of the gross price, about 16.67%.
Germany, 19%: a €59.50 gross price contains 59.50 ÷ 1.19 = €50.00 net and €9.50 VAT.
Standard VAT and GST rates (2026)
| Country | Standard rate | Examples of reduced rates |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20% | 5% (domestic energy, child car seats), 0% (most food, books) |
| Germany | 19% | 7% (food, books, restaurant meals from 2026 — drinks stay at 19%) |
| France | 20% | 10%, 5.5%, 2.1% |
| Ireland | 23% | 13.5%, 9% (including restaurant food from July 2026), 4.8% |
| Finland | 25.5% | 13.5%, 10% |
| Switzerland | 8.1% | 3.8%, 2.6% |
| UAE | 5% | 0% on certain supplies |
| Australia (GST) | 10% | Basic food GST-free |
| New Zealand (GST) | 15% | Very few exemptions |
Rates are the standard rates in force in 2026 and change from time to time — several European countries adjusted rates in 2025 and 2026 — so always confirm with your national tax authority. Indian GST has several slabs; for those, use the dedicated GST calculator. In the US and Canada, where tax is added at the till, the sales tax calculator is the better fit.
How VAT works through the supply chain
VAT is charged at every stage, but each business only pays tax on the value it adds. A manufacturer sells a part for €100 + €20 VAT. The retailer sells the finished item for €200 + €40 VAT, pays the €40 it collected to the tax office and reclaims the €20 it paid — a net €20. The total VAT collected is €40, exactly 20% of the final consumer price, and it is the consumer who ultimately bears it. This is why VAT-registered businesses focus on net prices, while consumers see gross prices.
Tips for businesses
- Quote clearly. To business customers, quote net prices "plus VAT"; to consumers, most countries require VAT-inclusive prices.
- VAT isn't income. The VAT you charge belongs to the tax authority, minus the input VAT you can reclaim on purchases. Calculate margins on net figures with the margin calculator.
- Round per invoice. Many tax authorities allow rounding VAT to the nearest cent per invoice total rather than per line — check local rules.
This calculator gives estimates for general information and is not tax advice.
Cite or link to this page
Using this vat calculator in an article, report or homework? Copy a citation or a ready-made link:
Calcivia. (2026). VAT Calculator. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://www.calcivia.com/vat-calculator/"VAT Calculator." Calcivia, 2026, https://www.calcivia.com/vat-calculator/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.<a href="https://www.calcivia.com/vat-calculator/">VAT Calculator</a> by Calcivia