VAT Calculator
VAT rate
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VAT Calculator – Add or Remove VAT in Seconds
This free VAT calculator adds VAT to a net price or removes VAT from a gross price in one step. Choose your country and the standard, reduced or zero rate is filled in for you – 20% and 5% for the UK, 23% for Ireland, 19% for Germany, 5% for the UAE, 15% for Saudi Arabia and South Africa, and many more. You can also type any custom rate. The result updates as you type and shows the net amount, the VAT amount, the gross amount and the exact formula used, so you can check an invoice, price a product or reclaim VAT with confidence.
Unlike most VAT calculators, this one also has an invoice mode. Add several lines with different quantities and VAT rates – for example standard-rated goods, reduced-rated energy and zero-rated books on the same bill – and the calculator totals the net, the VAT at each rate and the grand total, just as it should appear on a VAT invoice.
Instant add & remove
Switch between adding VAT and extracting VAT from a VAT-inclusive price. Results update as you type.
22 countries built in
UK, Ireland, EU countries, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and more, each with its standard and reduced rates.
Multi-item invoice mode
Mix different VAT rates on one invoice and get the VAT breakdown per rate, ready to copy.
Formula & copy summary
See the exact calculation, the VAT fraction and a one-click summary for emails, quotes or records.
How to Use the VAT Calculator
- Pick your country. The calculator loads that country's VAT rates and currency symbol. The UK is selected by default.
- Choose Add VAT or Remove VAT. Use Add VAT when you have a price before VAT (the net price). Use Remove VAT when your price already includes VAT (the gross price) and you want to know the VAT inside it.
- Enter the amount. Type the price in pounds, euros, dirhams or any currency.
- Select the VAT rate. Tap a rate chip such as 20% or 5%, or type a custom rate in the box.
- Read the result. You get the net amount, the VAT, the gross total, the VAT fraction and the formula. The table below shows the same amount at every rate for your country.
- For invoices with several items, open Invoice (multi-item), add a line for each product or service, set its quantity and rate, and copy the full VAT breakdown.
VAT Formulas: How to Add and Remove VAT
Adding VAT is simple: multiply the net price by one plus the VAT rate. Removing VAT is where most people go wrong – you cannot just take 20% off a VAT-inclusive price. You must divide by one plus the rate.
Add VAT: Gross = Net × (1 + rate ÷ 100)
Remove VAT: Net = Gross ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100)
VAT amount = Gross − Net = Net × rate ÷ 100
Example – adding 20% VAT: a product costs £250 before VAT. £250 × 1.20 = £300. The VAT is £50.
Example – removing 20% VAT: a bill totals £300 including VAT. £300 ÷ 1.20 = £250 net, so the VAT is £50. If you had wrongly taken 20% off £300 you would get £240 – that is £10 out, which is why a VAT calculator is so useful.
The VAT Fraction – A Quick Shortcut
HMRC calls the share of a VAT-inclusive price that is VAT the VAT fraction. For the 20% standard rate it is 1/6, and for the 5% reduced rate it is 1/21. So to find the VAT in a gross price of £300 at 20%, divide by 6: £300 ÷ 6 = £50. The general formula is rate ÷ (100 + rate). The calculator shows the VAT fraction for every rate you choose.
| VAT rate | Multiply net by | Divide gross by | VAT fraction of gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1/21 (4.76%) |
| 15% | 1.15 | 1.15 | 3/23 (13.04%) |
| 19% | 1.19 | 1.19 | 19/119 (15.97%) |
| 20% | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1/6 (16.67%) |
| 21% | 1.21 | 1.21 | 21/121 (17.36%) |
| 23% | 1.23 | 1.23 | 23/123 (18.70%) |
UK VAT Rates in 2026
The UK has three VAT rates. Most goods and services are charged at the standard rate, a small number of items get the reduced rate, and many essentials are zero-rated.
| Rate | VAT | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 20% | Most goods and services: electronics, clothing for adults, furniture, restaurant meals, hot takeaway food, alcohol, professional services, private school fees |
| Reduced | 5% | Domestic gas and electricity, children's car seats, mobility aids for older people, some home renovations |
| Zero | 0% | Most food and groceries, books and newspapers, children's clothes and shoes, public transport, prescriptions, women's sanitary products, exports outside the UK |
Some supplies are exempt from VAT rather than zero-rated – for example insurance, most financial services, education and training by eligible bodies, postal services by the Royal Mail universal service, and most residential rent. The difference matters for businesses: zero-rated sales still count towards your VAT turnover and let you reclaim VAT on costs, while exempt sales generally do not.
UK VAT Registration Threshold
A UK business must register for VAT when its VAT-taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period, or if it expects to go over that figure in the next 30 days alone. The deregistration threshold is £88,000. You can register voluntarily below the threshold, which can make sense if most of your customers are VAT-registered businesses that can reclaim the VAT you charge, or if you have large VAT-able costs. Once registered, VAT returns must be filed digitally under Making Tax Digital (MTD) using compatible software.
VAT Rates Around the World
VAT (or GST in some countries) is used in more than 170 countries. Here are the standard rates for the countries in this calculator. Reduced rates are listed in the country selector above.
| Country | Standard rate | Reduced rates |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20% | 5% |
| Ireland | 23% | 13.5%, 9%, 4.8% |
| Germany | 19% | 7% |
| France | 20% | 10%, 5.5%, 2.1% |
| Spain | 21% | 10%, 4% |
| Italy | 22% | 10%, 5%, 4% |
| Netherlands | 21% | 9% |
| Belgium | 21% | 12%, 6% |
| Austria | 20% | 13%, 10% |
| Portugal | 23% | 13%, 6% |
| Poland | 23% | 8%, 5% |
| Sweden | 25% | 12%, 6% |
| Denmark | 25% | – |
| Finland | 25.5% | 13.5%, 10% |
| Norway | 25% | 15%, 12% |
| Switzerland | 8.1% | 3.8%, 2.6% |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | – |
| Saudi Arabia | 15% | – |
| Bahrain | 10% | – |
| Oman | 5% | – |
| South Africa | 15% | – |
Rates checked in September 2026. Governments change VAT rates from time to time, so check the official tax authority for the latest rate before filing a return.
VAT in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
The United Arab Emirates introduced VAT at 5% in January 2018, and it remains one of the lowest VAT rates in the world. The mandatory registration threshold is AED 375,000 of taxable supplies a year. Saudi Arabia also started at 5% in 2018 but raised its standard rate to 15% in July 2020. Bahrain charges 10% and Oman 5%. To remove 5% UAE VAT from a price, divide by 1.05; to remove 15% Saudi VAT, divide by 1.15.
VAT vs Sales Tax vs GST
VAT (Value Added Tax) is charged at every stage of the supply chain, but each business reclaims the VAT it paid on its purchases, so in the end only the final consumer bears the tax. A US-style sales tax is charged only once, at the final sale to the consumer, and businesses do not reclaim it. GST (Goods and Services Tax), used in India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Canada, works in the same way as VAT – it is simply a different name. For Indian GST with CGST, SGST and IGST, use our GST calculator.
How VAT Works for Businesses
A VAT-registered business charges output VAT on its sales and pays input VAT on its purchases. On each VAT return it pays HMRC the difference: output VAT minus input VAT. If input VAT is larger – common for exporters or businesses selling zero-rated goods – HMRC refunds the difference.
Example: a furniture maker buys timber for £1,000 + £200 VAT and sells a table for £2,500 + £500 VAT. It pays HMRC £500 − £200 = £300. The customer paid £500 VAT in total, which was collected in stages along the chain.
Flat Rate Scheme and Other UK Schemes
- Flat Rate Scheme: businesses with VAT-taxable turnover up to £150,000 (excluding VAT) can pay a fixed percentage of their gross turnover to HMRC instead of working out input and output VAT. The percentage depends on the business sector. Limited-cost traders pay 16.5%.
- Cash Accounting Scheme: pay VAT when your customers pay you rather than when you invoice, useful for cash flow. Available up to £1.35 million turnover.
- Annual Accounting Scheme: make advance payments and submit one VAT return a year.
- Margin schemes: for second-hand goods, art and antiques, VAT is charged only on the profit margin, not the full selling price.
What Must Be on a VAT Invoice?
A full UK VAT invoice must show a unique invoice number, your business name and address, your VAT registration number, the invoice date and time of supply, the customer's name and address, a description of the goods or services, the quantity and unit price, the VAT rate for each item, the total excluding VAT, and the total VAT charged. Use the invoice mode of this calculator to work out totals per VAT rate before you raise the invoice.
Common VAT Mistakes to Avoid
- Taking 20% off a gross price. To remove VAT, divide by 1.2 – do not multiply by 0.8.
- Rounding every line differently. HMRC allows rounding per line or on the total, but be consistent. The calculator rounds to 2 decimals by default.
- Mixing up zero-rated and exempt. They both have no VAT on the bill, but they are treated very differently on your return.
- Charging VAT before registration. You cannot charge VAT unless you are VAT-registered.
- Forgetting reduced rates. Energy bills and some other supplies are at 5%, not 20%.
Quick VAT Table (20% UK Standard Rate)
| Net price | VAT at 20% | Gross price | VAT inside that gross ÷ 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £2.00 | £12.00 | £2.00 |
| £50 | £10.00 | £60.00 | £10.00 |
| £100 | £20.00 | £120.00 | £20.00 |
| £250 | £50.00 | £300.00 | £50.00 |
| £500 | £100.00 | £600.00 | £100.00 |
| £1,000 | £200.00 | £1,200.00 | £200.00 |
| £5,000 | £1,000.00 | £6,000.00 | £1,000.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate VAT at 20%?
To add 20% VAT, multiply the net price by 1.2. For example £80 × 1.2 = £96, so the VAT is £16. To find the VAT on its own, multiply the net price by 0.2.
How do I remove VAT from a price?
Divide the VAT-inclusive price by 1 plus the VAT rate. At 20%, divide by 1.2: £96 ÷ 1.2 = £80 net. The VAT is £96 − £80 = £16. Choose Remove VAT in the calculator to do this instantly.
Why can't I just take 20% off to remove VAT?
Because the 20% was added to the net price, not the gross price. Taking 20% off £120 gives £96, but the correct net price is £120 ÷ 1.2 = £100. The VAT is one sixth of the gross price, not one fifth.
What is the current VAT rate in the UK?
The UK standard VAT rate is 20%. There is a reduced rate of 5% for items such as domestic energy, and a zero rate of 0% for most food, books and children's clothes.
What is the VAT registration threshold in the UK?
You must register for VAT if your VAT-taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a rolling 12-month period, or you expect it to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days.
What is the VAT rate in the UAE?
The UAE VAT rate is 5%. To add it, multiply by 1.05; to remove it from a VAT-inclusive price, divide by 1.05. Select United Arab Emirates in the calculator.
Can I calculate VAT for several items with different rates?
Yes. Open Invoice (multi-item) mode, add a line for each item with its quantity, price and VAT rate, and the calculator shows the net, VAT per rate and grand total.
What is the difference between zero-rated and VAT-exempt?
Both have no VAT charged to the customer, but zero-rated supplies are taxable at 0%, count towards the registration threshold and let businesses reclaim input VAT. Exempt supplies are outside the VAT system and usually do not allow input VAT to be reclaimed.
Is this VAT calculator free?
Yes, it is completely free with no sign-up. All calculations run in your browser and nothing you enter is stored.
Note: VAT rates and thresholds were checked against official government sources in September 2026. This calculator is for guidance only and is not tax advice; confirm the correct VAT treatment for your goods or services with HMRC or your local tax authority.