What is VAT Calculator?

VAT Calculator lets you quickly add VAT to a net price or extract VAT from a gross price. Choose from common VAT rates worldwide or enter a custom rate — ideal for invoicing, quoting, or verifying receipts.

The math differs by direction: adding VAT means multiplying net x (1 + rate), while removing VAT means dividing gross by (1 + rate) - not subtracting the same percentage. The calculator has presets for 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% (covering most countries) and lets you type any custom rate for places like Hungary's 27% or Switzerland's 8.1%.

How to use

1. Step 1 — Enter the amount and select the VAT rate (or type a custom percentage).
2. Step 2 — Choose whether to add VAT to a net price or remove VAT from a gross price.
3. Step 3 — View the net amount, VAT amount, and gross total — copy any value you need.

When to use

• Adding VAT to a freelancer invoice before sending it to a client.
• Extracting the VAT line from a gross receipt for expense claims.
• Comparing the same product price across countries with different VAT rates.

Result

A freelancer needs to add 20% VAT to a £500 invoice. Enter 500, select 20%, choose 'Add VAT' — the result shows £100 VAT and £600 gross total.

FAQ

Why doesn't removing 20% VAT from 120 just give me 100?

Because the 20% was already calculated on the net amount of 100, not on the gross 120. The correct math is 120 / 1.20 = 100 net and 20 VAT. Subtracting 20% from 120 would give 96 which is wrong.

Which countries have a standard VAT rate that's not in the presets?

Hungary uses 27%, Norway and Sweden use 25% (covered), Switzerland uses 8.1%, Singapore's GST is 9%, the UAE charges 5%. Use the custom rate field for anything outside the preset list — it accepts decimals like 7.7 or 13.5.

Does this calculator handle reduced VAT rates for food, books, or hotels?

Yes. Pick a country and any reduced rates it uses (food, books, hotels) appear as quick-pick chips next to the standard rate — or type any percentage into the custom field. The calculator doesn't decide what's reduced; you set the rate for the line you're working with. In bulk mode you can even mix rates per row by adding a value like 5% at the end of a line.

Is VAT the same as GST or sales tax?

VAT and GST work the same way mathematically — they're consumption taxes charged at each stage. US sales tax is single-stage, added only at the final retail sale, but the add/remove math here works identically for any flat percentage tax.

Can I export the result for accounting?

Use Copy to grab a three-line text summary (net, VAT, gross) or Download CSV to get a spreadsheet-ready file with the rate and mode included. Both work without uploading anything and can be pasted straight into invoicing software.

Related Tools