How to work out VAT on any amount
Value-added tax is a percentage added to the price of goods and services in many countries. Shop owners need it for quotes and invoices, freelancers need it when pricing their services, and shoppers want to know the final price before paying. This calculator gives you the tax amount and the total including tax in one step.
The calculation happens directly in your browser, and the amounts you type are not sent anywhere, so you can use it safely with your business figures.
How to use it
- Type the price before tax in "Amount (before tax)".
- Type the rate that applies to you in "Tax rate %". It starts at 15.
- Press "Calculate".
- You will see the "Tax amount" and the "Total", both rounded to two decimal places.
What you can control
- Amount: any number, including decimals such as 249.75.
- Tax rate: typed by hand, so it works for any country or any reduced rate on a particular item.
- Formula: tax = amount × rate ÷ 100, and total = amount + tax.
- No currency is imposed; results are in the same currency as your amount.
Practical examples
- An online shop selling an item at 200 before tax at 15%: the tax is 30 and the customer pays 230.
- A freelance designer quoting 1,000 to a client in a country with a 5% rate: the tax is 50 and the total 1,050.
- A buyer comparing two offers, one quoted before tax and one after, who calculates the first total for a fair comparison.
- A bookkeeper quickly checking the VAT line on a supplier invoice.
When the price already includes VAT
The calculator adds tax to a net price; it does not extract tax from a gross price. To find the VAT inside a tax-inclusive price, divide the price by (1 + rate ÷ 100) to get the net amount, then subtract it from the gross price. For example, 115 including 15%: 115 ÷ 1.15 = 100, so the VAT is 15. You can then enter 100 in the calculator to confirm.
Tips and notes
- Rates differ between countries and can change by government decision; at the time of writing, for example, the standard rate is 15% in Saudi Arabia and 5% in the UAE, and some countries have no VAT at all. Always confirm the current rate with your tax authority.
- Some goods and services are exempt, zero-rated or taxed at a reduced rate, so the standard rate does not apply to everything.
- Rounding to two decimals can cause small differences when you tax many line items separately rather than the overall total.
- This is a quick estimating tool and does not replace an accountant for official tax returns.
For related calculations, try the percentage calculator, the discount calculator for sale prices, and the profit margin calculator for pricing your products.