VAT calculator
Enter an amount, choose whether it includes VAT, and pick the rate: 20% standard, 5% reduced or any other. You get the net price, the VAT and the gross total, with rates for other countries one click away.
The net price, before VAT.
- Net (excluding VAT)
- £100.00
- VAT at 20%
- £20.00
- Gross (including VAT)
- £120.00
- Nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign-up
- Works on phone and desktop
How to add or remove VAT
- 1
Say whether your amount already includes VAT: choose No, add VAT for a net price, or Yes, remove VAT for a gross one.
- 2
Pick the rate: 20% standard, 5% reduced or 0% zero for the UK, or type any other rate. Change the country for its rates.
- 3
Enter the amount. The net price, the VAT and the gross total update as you type.
- 4
Selling at more than one rate? Click Add more items and give a line its own rate to get the VAT per rate, as on an invoice.
Features
Add or remove VAT
Switch between adding VAT to a net price and taking it out of a gross one without retyping the amount.
The VAT fraction, shown
Taking VAT out shows the sum behind it, such as 1/6 of the price at 20%, so you can check it by hand.
Rates for 16 countries
The UK, Ireland, South Africa, the UAE and much of Europe, each with its official source and the date we checked it.
Several items and rates
Add up to 12 lines, each at its own rate, and see the VAT for each rate and the invoice total.
The formulas
- Adding VAT: VAT = net × rate ÷ 100, and gross = net × (1 + rate ÷ 100). At 20%, multiply by 1.2.
- Removing VAT: net = gross ÷ (1 + rate ÷ 100), and VAT = gross × rate ÷ (100 + rate). At 20%, divide by 1.2, or take 1/6 for the VAT.
The classic mistake is taking 20% off a VAT-inclusive price. The 20% was added to the net price, which is smaller than the gross, so 20% of the gross is more than the VAT that's in it. That's why the VAT inside a price is a sixth, not a fifth.
UK VAT rates
| Rate | VAT fraction | Examples (from HMRC) |
|---|---|---|
| 20% standard | 1/6 | Most goods and services |
| 5% reduced | 1/21 | Home energy, children's car seats, some mobility aids for older people |
| 0% zero | — | Most food, children's clothes and shoes, books and newspapers |
Rates checked on GOV.UK on 30 October 2026. Exempt goods and services, such as most insurance, aren't the same as zero-rated ones: see the FAQ below. HMRC's guide to rates on different goods and services lists the borderline cases, like hot takeaway food, which is standard-rated even though most food is zero-rated.
Worked examples
- A trade quote of £480.00 + VAT: the VAT is £96.00 and the customer pays £576.00.
- A £54.99 receipt at 20%: the VAT is £9.17 and the net price £45.82. That's the VAT a registered business could reclaim, if the purchase is for the business.
- An energy bill of £126.00 including 5% VAT: the VAT is 1/21 of it, £6.00, leaving £120.00.
- A shop receipt with £36.00 of adult clothes (20%) and £24.00 of children's clothes (0%): only the first line carries VAT, £6.00 in all, so the net total is £54.00. Use Add more items to do the same with your own lines.
Pennies, invoices and returns
This calculator rounds the VAT to the nearest penny and works out the other figure from it, so net plus VAT always equals the gross. HMRC's VAT guide (Notice 700) sets out the rounding businesses may use on invoices; whichever method you pick, use it consistently.
A VAT-registered business normally has to issue a VAT invoice within 30 days of the sale. For sales of £250 or less, a simplified invoice is enough if the customer agrees: it shows your name, address and VAT number, the date, a description, the total and the rate. Over £250, a full VAT invoice also needs a unique invoice number, the customer's details, unit prices and the VAT total.
VAT rates in other countries
Pick a country in the calculator to switch to its rates and currency. Ireland, South Africa and the UAE have their own pages with local rules and examples. This table isn't a full guide: most countries have special schemes, regional rates and long lists of what falls where, so check with the tax authority before you rely on a rate.
| Country | Standard | Other rates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 23% | 13.5%, 9%, 4.8%, 0% | Revenue |
| South Africa | 15% | 0% | SARS |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | 0% | Federal Tax Authority |
| Belgium | 21% | 12%, 6% | European Commission |
| Denmark | 25% | — | European Commission |
| Finland | 25.5% | 13.5%, 10% | European Commission |
| France | 20% | 10%, 5.5%, 2.1% | European Commission |
| Germany | 19% | 7% | European Commission |
| Italy | 22% | 10%, 5%, 4% | European Commission |
| Netherlands | 21% | 9% | European Commission |
| Poland | 23% | 8%, 5% | European Commission |
| Portugal | 23% | 13%, 6% | European Commission |
| Spain | 21% | 10%, 4% | European Commission |
| Sweden | 25% | 12%, 6% | European Commission |
| Switzerland | 8.1% | 3.8%, 2.6% | ESTV |
All rates checked on 30 October 2026. The European Commission's table covers national rates only, not regional ones such as Madeira's or the Canary Islands'.
Use net prices for your margins
VAT you charge is collected for HMRC, not earned, so work out margins and markups on net prices. Strip the VAT out here first, then use the margin calculator or the markup calculator. For a sale price, try the discount calculator.
This calculator does the arithmetic; it isn't tax advice. Which rate applies to a sale depends on what it is and the circumstances, and the final word is HMRC's guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out VAT at 20%?
Multiply the net price by 0.2 to get the VAT, or by 1.2 to get the price including VAT. A £250.00 net price carries £50.00 of VAT, so the customer pays £300.00.
How do I take VAT off a price?
Divide the VAT-inclusive price by 1.2 for the 20% rate, or by 1.05 for 5%. To find the VAT itself, take 1/6 of the price at 20%: £180.00 including VAT is £30.00 VAT and £150.00 net. Don't take 20% off, which gives £144.00: that's too little.
What is the VAT fraction?
It's the share of a VAT-inclusive price that is VAT. HMRC uses 1/6 for the 20% standard rate and 1/21 for the 5% reduced rate. Multiply a gross amount by the fraction to find the VAT inside it.
What are the current UK VAT rates?
20% standard rate for most goods and services; 5% reduced rate for things like home energy and children's car seats; and 0% for zero-rated goods such as most food and children's clothes. Some things, like most insurance, are exempt. Rates as published on GOV.UK, checked 30 October 2026.
When do I have to register for VAT?
In the UK you must register if your VAT-taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or you expect it to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days alone. You can register voluntarily below the threshold.
What is the difference between zero-rated and exempt?
Zero-rated sales are taxable at 0%: they count towards your VAT-taxable turnover and you can still reclaim the VAT on costs that relate to them. Exempt sales, such as most insurance, are outside VAT, so they don't count towards the threshold and the VAT on related costs usually can't be reclaimed.
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