VAT Calculator
Quoting a UK client £500 net? Add 20% VAT and the invoice total is £600. Or received a £720 gross invoice — the net is £600, VAT is £120. Choose your country or enter any rate, then toggle between Add and Remove mode.
Last updated: April 2026
Add or remove VAT
Select a mode, pick your country’s rate (or enter a custom %), and enter the amount.
Rate presets
VAT rates by country
VAT (Value Added Tax) is a consumption tax charged at each stage of the supply chain. The rate varies significantly by country and by product category. Most countries also have reduced rates for essentials like food, medicine, and books.
| Country | Standard rate | Reduced rate | Local name |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20% | 5% & 0% | VAT |
| Netherlands | 21% | 9% | BTW (Belasting over de Toegevoegde Waarde) |
| Germany | 19% | 7% | MwSt / USt (Mehrwertsteuer) |
| France | 20% | 10%, 5.5%, 2.1% | TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée) |
| Switzerland | 8.1% | 3.8%, 2.6% | MWST / TVA / IVA |
| Ireland | 23% | 13.5%, 9%, 4.8% | VAT |
| Sweden | 25% | 12%, 6% | Moms (Mervärdesskatt) |
| Hungary | 27% | 18%, 5% | ÁFA (Általános Forgalmi Adó) |
| Spain | 21% | 10%, 4% | IVA (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido) |
| Italy | 22% | 10%, 5%, 4% | IVA (Imposta sul Valore Aggiunto) |
How to add VAT to a price
Multiply the net (pre-VAT) price by (1 + VAT rate ÷ 100). To add 20% UK VAT to £80: £80 × 1.20 = £96 gross. The VAT amount is £16. This is the same arithmetic as any percentage increase — the percentage change calculator can verify the uplift between any two amounts.
How to remove VAT from a price (reverse VAT)
Divide the gross (VAT-inclusive) price by (1 + VAT rate ÷ 100). To remove 21% Dutch VAT from €121: €121 ÷ 1.21 = €100 net. The VAT was €21. This is the correct method — do not simply subtract 21% from the gross, as that gives the wrong answer (€95.59 instead of €100). The error occurs because 21% of the gross is a different amount than 21% of the net.
Net vs gross: what’s the difference?
The net price is the amount before VAT is added — what a business typically shows in B2B transactions, since VAT-registered buyers can reclaim it. The gross price is the consumer-facing total with VAT already included. Most retail prices are gross; most invoices between businesses show both. If you also need to apply a discount before VAT, the discount + tax calculator handles that in one step. For US sales tax rather than VAT, use the sales tax calculator.
Reduced VAT rates and zero-rating
Most countries apply reduced VAT rates to certain categories. In the UK, domestic fuel and power is taxed at 5%, and most food, children’s clothing, and books are zero-rated (0% VAT, but still VAT-registered for reclaim purposes). In Germany, food, books, newspapers, and public transport carry a reduced rate of 7% instead of the standard 19%. In France, reduced rates of 10%, 5.5%, and 2.1% apply to accommodation, food, medicine, and press respectively. The rates in the calculator’s country presets reflect the standard rate — for reduced-rate calculations, enter the specific rate manually.
VAT registration and reclaiming VAT
Businesses above the VAT registration threshold in their country must register for VAT, charge it to customers, and remit it to the tax authority. In the UK the threshold is £90,000 annual turnover (as of 2024). VAT-registered businesses can also reclaim the VAT they paid on business purchases, making VAT effectively cost-neutral for B2B transactions — the full burden falls only on the end consumer who cannot reclaim. If you are invoicing another VAT-registered business, show prices net with VAT itemised separately. If selling to consumers, show the gross (VAT-inclusive) price.
The most common reverse VAT mistake
When working backwards from a VAT-inclusive price, the single most common error is subtracting the VAT percentage directly. A £240 price including 20% VAT: the wrong method is £240 × 0.20 = £48, giving a net of £192. The correct method is £240 ÷ 1.20 = £200 net (VAT = £40). The 20% in a gross price represents 20% of the net, not 20% of the gross — those are different bases. Use the “Remove VAT” mode in the calculator above to avoid this error entirely.
Frequently asked questions
20% of £250 = £50 VAT. Gross price = £300. To verify: £300 ÷ 1.20 = £250 net. Use the “Add VAT” mode above with rate 20 and amount 250.
Divide the gross by (1 + VAT rate ÷ 100). For 20% VAT: divide by 1.20. For 21%: divide by 1.21. Do not subtract the percentage directly — £120 minus 20% = £96, which is wrong. £120 ÷ 1.20 = £100, which is correct.
No. Sales tax (used in the US) is only charged at the final point of sale to the consumer, at a single stage. VAT is charged at every stage of the supply chain but businesses can reclaim the VAT they paid on their inputs, so the effective tax is still borne by the end consumer.
Hungary has the highest standard VAT rate in the EU at 27%. Sweden, Denmark, and Croatia all have 25%. The EU requires a minimum standard rate of 15%, but there is no maximum cap.
Yes. Switzerland is not in the EU but operates its own VAT system (MWST in German, TVA in French, IVA in Italian). The standard rate is 8.1% as of January 2024, increased from 7.7% to fund the pension system (AHV/AVS reform).
Subtracting the VAT percentage directly from the gross price. A £240 price including 20% VAT: the wrong method is £240 × 0.20 = £48, giving a net of £192. The correct method is £240 ÷ 1.20 = £200 net (VAT = £40). The 20% in a gross price is 20% of the net, not 20% of the gross — those are different bases.
Yes — completely free, no signup, no ads. All calculations run in your browser and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.