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VAT / GST Calculator

Calculate value-added tax and goods-services tax for 100+ countries with inclusive/exclusive price conversion.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What VAT / GST Calculator does, with a checked example

One price can mean two different things across borders: in most of Europe, shop prices already include VAT, while business invoices often quote amounts before tax, and in the United States displayed prices usually exclude tax entirely. This tool converts between the two: pick the country so its standard rate is applied, enter the amount, say whether it includes tax, and it returns the other figure plus the tax portion. The mistake users make most often is applying the rate to a tax-inclusive total. That overstates the tax: 20% of a 120 gross price computes 24, but the VAT actually embedded in that 120 total is 20.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

Country: United Kingdom (VAT 20%). Amount: 120.00. The amount includes VAT.

Expected output

Price excluding VAT: 100.00. VAT included: 20.00.

Because the 120 already contains the tax, it equals 120% of the net price, so the net is 120 / 1.20 = 100 and the tax is 120 - 100 = 20. Taking 20% of 120 would wrongly report 24 of tax.

How the result is produced

1

The two conversion directions

For an exclusive amount, the tool adds tax on top: gross = net x (1 + rate), and tax = net x rate. For an inclusive amount it extracts tax from inside the total: net = gross / (1 + rate), and tax = gross x rate / (1 + rate). The two directions are inverse, so converting a gross price back to net and forward again returns the original figure, apart from rounding.

2

Country rates and overrides

Selecting a country supplies its standard VAT or GST rate, so most users never type a rate; the value can be edited when the situation calls for a different one. The standard rate is a headline number - reduced rates, zero-rated goods, and exemptions are not reflected - and the preset is only as current as the rate data behind it.

Good uses

  • You and a client agree a fee as a net amount, and you need the tax-inclusive total to put on the invoice so the VAT you must remit is shown correctly.
  • A supplier invoice arrives with a total that includes tax, and you need the net figure and the tax portion for your accounts or expense claim.
  • You are comparing quotations from suppliers in different countries and want the pre-tax cost of each, so the tax system does not skew the comparison.

Limits and checks

  • The tax embedded in a gross price is not rate x gross. From a 120 total at 20%, the tax is 120 x 0.20 / 1.20 = 20, not 120 x 0.20 = 24. This is the most common way to misread the result.
  • Standard rate is a simplification. Reduced rates (UK 5% on domestic fuel), zero-rated items, exemptions, and registration thresholds can all make the real charge differ, and India's GST is a multi-slab system rather than one rate.
  • Presets go stale. Governments change rates from time to time, so the stored rate can lag the law; confirm the current rate with the tax authority before invoicing or filing.

Common questions

A client sends me a quote of 1,200 including 20% VAT. What is the tax, and what did they really charge?

The tax is 200 and the pre-tax price is 1,000: divide 1,200 by 1.20. The 1,200 quote came from adding 20% to 1,000, so removing 20% of 1,200 (240) would be wrong. The rule generalizes: gross divided by one plus the rate as a decimal.

Why is there no VAT rate for the United States?

There is no federal VAT or GST in the United States. Sales tax is a state and local levy, usually added on top of displayed prices, with rates varying by state, county, and city, so a single national rate does not exist. Treat it as a different mechanism: VAT is built into the price you pay, while US sales tax is charged at the register.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.

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