qcalculate

VAT Calculator

Add VAT, GST or sales tax to a price, or work out the price before tax from a price that includes it, at any rate, with every step shown.

Price with tax

$120.00

$100.00 plus 20% tax is $120.00: the tax is $20.00.

Before tax
$100.00
Tax
$20.00
With tax
$120.00

Show me how

All steps as text

    Tip: press ← and → to move between steps, or click any step.

    How to add VAT

    Multiply the price before tax by the rate to get the tax, then add it on. Or do it in one step: multiply by 1 plus the rate. At 20%, £100 × 0.2 = £20 of VAT, so the price with VAT is £120, which is also £100 × 1.2.

    Price with tax=Price before tax×(1+r100)\text{Price with tax} = \text{Price before tax} \times \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)

    How to remove VAT

    Divide the price with tax by 1 plus the rate. At 20%, £120 ÷ 1.2 = £100, so the VAT was £20.

    Price before tax=Price with tax1+r100\text{Price before tax} = \frac{\text{Price with tax}}{1 + \frac{r}{100}}

    The common mistake is to take 20% off the price with tax: 20% of £120 is £24, which gives £96. That is wrong, because the 20% was worked out on £100, not on £120. At 20%, the VAT in a price is always 1/6 of it; at 5% it is 1/21.

    Common standard rates

    Checked on 1 November 2026. Many countries also have reduced rates for food, books or energy; use the rate on your receipt or invoice.

    • UK VAT: 20% (reduced rate 5%)
    • Germany 19%, France 20%, Spain 21%, Italy 22%, Ireland 23%
    • Bangladesh VAT: 15%
    • India GST: 18% (lower rate 5%, special rate 40% since 22 September 2025)
    • Australia GST: 10%; New Zealand GST: 15%; Canada GST: 5% (plus provincial tax in most provinces)
    • South Africa VAT: 15%; UAE VAT: 5%; Saudi Arabia VAT: 15%

    In the United States, sales tax is set by states, counties and cities, so add up the rates where you are (for example 6.25% state plus 2% local is 8.25%).

    Questions

    How do I work out VAT backwards from a total?

    Divide the total by 1 plus the rate as a decimal, then subtract to find the VAT. At 20%: £60 ÷ 1.2 = £50, so the VAT is £10. A quick check at 20%: the VAT is one sixth of the total.

    Is VAT the same as GST and sales tax?

    The maths is the same: a percentage added to the price. VAT and GST are charged at each stage of a sale, and businesses reclaim what they pay, while US sales tax is charged once, at the till.

    Why is my answer a cent different from my receipt?

    Shops often round the tax line by line, while this calculator works out the tax on the whole amount and rounds once. Both are allowed; the difference is a cent or two.