Online Tool Store
VAT Calculator
Add VAT to a net figure or work backwards to strip it out of a gross one, at any rate, with the net, VAT, and gross shown. Runs entirely in your browser.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Net (before VAT)
—
VAT
—
Gross (with VAT)
—
Example shown — enter your own figures. Any currency; only the numbers matter.
- Net amount
- VAT
- Gross amount
- VAT as a share of the gross
How it works
- Say whether your figure already includes VAT or not — that decides which way the maths runs.
- Enter the amount and the rate, or tap one of the common rate buttons.
- Read off the net, the VAT, and the gross, all updating as you type.
Adding VAT and removing it are not mirror images
Adding VAT is a multiplication; removing it is a division. Getting this the wrong way round is the single most common VAT mistake:
gross = net × (1 + rate) // adding
net = gross ÷ (1 + rate) // removing
VAT = gross − net
At a 20% rate, 100 net becomes 120 gross. Going the other way, 120 gross divided by 1.2 gives 100 net and 20 of VAT. Subtracting 20% from 120 instead gives 96 — understating the net by 4 and the VAT by 4, an error that compounds across every line of an invoice.
The same relationship explains the "share of the gross" figure. VAT as a fraction of the total is rate ÷ (1 + rate), so 20% is 1/6 of the gross (16.67%), 25% is 1/5 (20%), and 5% is 1/21 (4.76%). Those fractions are worth knowing if you ever need to sanity-check a receipt in your head.
FAQ
How do I take VAT out of a price that already includes it?
Choose "Includes VAT — take it out". The net figure is the gross divided by 1 plus the rate, not the gross minus the rate. At 20%, £120 becomes £100 with £20 of VAT — taking 20% off £120 would wrongly give £96.
Why is 20% VAT only one sixth of the total?
Because the percentage is charged on the net amount, but you are looking at the gross. With a 20% rate the gross is 1.2 times the net, so VAT is 0.2 ÷ 1.2 of the total, which is exactly 1/6 or about 16.67%. The tool shows this as "VAT as a share of the gross".
Which rate should I use?
Whichever applies to your sale — the preset buttons are common rates for convenience, not advice. Rates differ by country, change over time, and many goods sit on a reduced or zero rate, so check your own tax authority if the correct rate is not already known.
Does it work for sales tax or GST too?
Yes. The arithmetic is identical for any single-rate tax added to a net price, so it works for GST, sales tax, or any similar consumption tax. The one difference to watch is that some sales taxes are quoted exclusive of tax by convention, in which case use the "add it on" mode.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type — nothing is uploaded or logged. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it will still work.
Why are the results rounded to two decimals?
Because that is how money is normally invoiced. The full precision is used internally, so the net, VAT, and gross always agree with each other; only the display is rounded. On very large figures a penny may look like it is missing, which is ordinary rounding rather than an error.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | Ad-supported VAT sites | Spreadsheet formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works both directions, add and extract | ✓ | ✓ | If you write both formulas |
| Shows VAT as a share of the gross | ✓ | Rarely | Another formula |
| Any rate, not a fixed country list | ✓ | Often locked to one country | ✓ |
| No ads, nothing typed leaves the page | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Handles many lines or a whole invoice | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knows your country's current rate for you | Presets only, not advice | Claimed, but often out of date | ✗ |
Best for the quick, one-off question — what is the VAT inside this receipt, what do I quote a client if my fee is net — with the direction made explicit so you cannot accidentally subtract when you should divide. For a full invoice with several lines and mixed rates, a spreadsheet is the better place. Rate presets are a convenience, not tax advice; check the rate that applies to your sale.