GST & VAT Calculator
Add GST or VAT to a price, take it out of a total that already includes it, or work out the rate from two amounts. Works with any rate and currency, and can handle a list of items with different rates.
Your result
Enter an amount and a rate above to see the result.
Net (before tax)
Tax
Gross (with tax)
Tax share of gross
Line by line
Summary by rate
The same amount at other rates
For guidance only, this is not tax advice. Rates, reduced and exempt items, and rounding rules vary by country and can change, so confirm the figures that matter with your tax authority or an accountant.
What GST and VAT actually are
GST and VAT are two names for the same basic idea. Every business in a supply chain charges tax on what it sells and subtracts the tax it paid on what it bought, then passes the difference to the government. Because each business can claim back what it paid, the cost ends up with the final customer, which is why the tax shows up as an extra line on a shop receipt or an invoice.
VAT stands for value added tax and is the term used across Europe, the UK, South Africa, the Gulf states and many other regions. GST stands for goods and services tax and is used in Australia, India, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and elsewhere. The label changes from country to country, but when you want to add the tax to a price or take it out again, the sums are exactly the same.
How to use this calculator
- Choose Add tax if you know the price before tax, Remove tax if you know the total that already includes it, or Find rate if you know both amounts and need the percentage.
- Type the amount, then pick a common rate or enter your own. You can use decimals, such as 7.5.
- Choose a currency if you want symbols and the right number of decimals. The tax name only changes the wording in the results.
- Tick Several items if your bill mixes rates, for example food at a reduced rate and services at the standard rate.
The result updates as you type. You can copy a plain-text summary, print the page, or reset everything with one tap.
The formulas behind it
Write the rate as a decimal first, so 20 percent becomes 0.20. Then:
Add tax: tax = net × rate gross = net × (1 + rate)
Remove tax: net = gross ÷ (1 + rate) tax = gross − net
Find rate: rate = (gross ÷ net − 1) × 100
The number 1 + rate is just a multiplier. At 18 percent it is 1.18, so adding tax means multiplying by 1.18 and removing it means dividing by 1.18. Keeping that in mind makes mental checks much easier.
Worked examples
Adding tax to a price
A freelancer quotes 250 before tax and the rate is 18 percent. The tax is 250 × 0.18 = 45, so the customer pays 295. Check: 250 × 1.18 = 295.
Removing tax from a total
A receipt shows 120 including 20 percent tax. Divide by 1.20 to get a net price of 100, which means 20 of the 120 is tax. If you are claiming the tax back as a business, 20 is the figure for your records.
Finding the rate
An item costs 80 before tax and 92 after. Divide 92 by 80 to get 1.15, subtract 1 and you have 0.15, so the rate is 15 percent and the tax is 12.
An invoice with two rates
Item A costs 200 at 5 percent, so the tax is 10 and the line total is 210. Item B costs 150 at 20 percent, so the tax is 30 and the line total is 180. The invoice shows a net total of 350, tax of 40 and a gross total of 390, and the tax summary lists 10 under the 5 percent rate and 30 under the 20 percent rate.
The most common mistake: taking the percentage off the total
When a price already includes tax, many people subtract the rate straight from it. It feels logical, but it gives the wrong answer, because the tax was calculated on the smaller, pre-tax price. The tax is always a bit less than the headline rate would suggest when measured against the total.
With a total of 118 that includes 18 percent tax, taking 18 percent of 118 gives 21.24 of tax and a net price of 96.76. The correct answer is a net price of 100 and tax of 18. The gap grows with the rate, so for high rates the error is bigger.
| Rate | Multiply net by | Divide gross by | Tax as a share of gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 1.05 | 1.05 | 4.76% |
| 10% | 1.10 | 1.10 | 9.09% |
| 15% | 1.15 | 1.15 | 13.04% |
| 18% | 1.18 | 1.18 | 15.25% |
| 20% | 1.20 | 1.20 | 16.67% |
| 25% | 1.25 | 1.25 | 20.00% |
Standard rates around the world
The table lists the main standard rate in a selection of countries so you have a starting point. Many places also have reduced rates, a zero rate or exemptions for items like basic food, books, medicine and education, and governments change rates from time to time. Treat the table as a guide and check the official site for the date you need.
| Country | Tax | Standard rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | GST | 10% | |
| Canada | GST / HST | 5% federal GST; 13% to 15% HST in some provinces | Provincial sales taxes are separate |
| France | VAT (TVA) | 20% | Reduced rates apply to food, books and more |
| Germany | VAT (MwSt) | 19% | 7% reduced rate |
| India | GST | 5% and 18% main slabs | 40% on a short list of goods; some items 0% or special rates |
| Ireland | VAT | 23% | Several reduced rates |
| Italy | VAT (IVA) | 22% | |
| Japan | Consumption tax | 10% | 8% reduced rate on food and some others |
| Netherlands | VAT (BTW) | 21% | 9% reduced rate |
| New Zealand | GST | 15% | |
| Pakistan | GST | 18% | Rates differ by province for services |
| Philippines | VAT | 12% | |
| Saudi Arabia | VAT | 15% | |
| Singapore | GST | 9% | |
| South Africa | VAT | 15% | Zero-rated basic foods |
| Spain | VAT (IVA) | 21% | Reduced rates of 10% and 4% |
| Sri Lanka | VAT | 18% | |
| United Arab Emirates | VAT | 5% | |
| United Kingdom | VAT | 20% | 5% reduced rate; 0% zero rate |
| United States | No federal VAT | Varies | State and local sales tax, set by location |
The United States has no national VAT. Sales tax is set by each state and often by cities and counties as well, so enter the combined local rate for the place where the sale happens.
Tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive prices
Shops in many countries, including the UK, Australia and most of Europe, must show the price with tax included, so the number on the tag is what you pay. Business-to-business quotes and invoices, and shops in the United States and Canada, usually show the price without tax and add it at the end. When you compare offers, make sure you are comparing the same kind of price. The Remove tax tab turns a tax-inclusive price into the net equivalent, and the Add tax tab does the opposite.
Zero-rated, exempt and reduced-rate items
A reduced rate is a lower percentage on selected goods or services. A zero-rated supply is taxable at 0 percent, so no tax is charged but the seller can still reclaim the tax on their own costs. An exempt supply is outside the tax and the seller usually cannot reclaim related costs. At the till the price looks the same for zero-rated and exempt goods, but the difference matters when a business files its return. If an item on your bill has a different rate, use the Several items option and give that line its own percentage.
Rounding on invoices
Money is rounded to the smallest unit of the currency, normally two decimals. The calculator rounds each line and then adds the lines, which is what many accounting systems do. Some systems calculate the tax on the whole invoice instead. The two methods can differ by a cent or two: three items of 1.99 at 20 percent give 0.40 of tax on each line, which adds up to 1.20, while tax on the combined 5.97 is 1.19. If your tax authority sets a method, use that one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GST and VAT?
In practice they work the same way. Both are consumption taxes collected at each step of the supply chain, where a business charges tax on its sales and subtracts the tax it paid on its purchases, so the final customer bears the cost. VAT (value added tax) is the older term used in Europe, the UK, South Africa and many other places. GST (goods and services tax) is the name used in countries such as Australia, India, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore. The arithmetic you use to add or remove either tax is identical.
How do I calculate GST or VAT on a price?
Multiply the price before tax by the rate as a decimal. At 20 percent, a net price of 150 gives 150 x 0.20 = 30 of tax, so the total is 180. The shortcut is to multiply the net price by 1 plus the rate, which here is 150 x 1.20 = 180.
How do I remove GST or VAT from a price that already includes it?
Divide the tax-inclusive price by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. For a price of 118 that includes 18 percent tax, 118 / 1.18 = 100 is the net price, and the tax is 118 - 100 = 18. Select the Remove tax tab in the calculator and enter the total you paid.
Why can't I just take 18 percent off the total to remove 18 percent tax?
Because the tax was worked out on the smaller net price, not on the total. Taking 18 percent of 118 gives 21.24, which is more than the real tax of 18, and leaves you with a net price of 96.76 instead of 100. The tax is always a slightly smaller share of the total than the headline rate: 18 percent tax is about 15.25 percent of a tax-inclusive price.
Can I use this calculator for sales tax?
Yes. Sales tax in the United States and similar taxes elsewhere are added to the shelf price at the till, which is the same sum as adding a percentage to a net price. Use the Add tax tab with your local combined rate. The Remove tax tab works for receipts where the tax was already included.
How do I find the tax rate if I only know the net and gross amounts?
Divide the gross amount by the net amount, subtract 1 and multiply by 100. A net price of 80 and a gross price of 92 gives 92 / 80 = 1.15, so the rate is 15 percent. The Find rate tab does this for you and also shows the tax amount.
What is the difference between zero-rated and exempt?
A zero-rated sale is taxable, but at a rate of 0 percent, so the seller can still reclaim the tax on their own purchases. An exempt sale is outside the tax altogether and the seller usually cannot reclaim related input tax. For the customer the price looks the same, but for the business it can make a big difference. Enter 0 as the rate to see a zero-rated price.
Can I get back the GST or VAT I pay?
Ordinary consumers cannot. Businesses that are registered for the tax can usually claim back the tax they pay on purchases used for taxable sales, which is called an input tax credit or input VAT. The rules, the paperwork and the items that are blocked differ by country, so check with your tax authority or an accountant.
How do I deal with several items that have different rates?
Switch on Several items, add one line per item and give each line its own rate. The calculator works out tax line by line, then shows the totals and a summary by rate, which is the layout most invoices and returns ask for.
How does the calculator round the answer?
Each amount is rounded to the normal number of decimal places for the selected currency (two for most, none for yen) using standard rounding, where half a cent or more goes up. With several items, tax is rounded on each line and then added up. Some invoicing systems round the tax on the invoice total instead, which can differ by a cent or two, so follow the method your tax authority or accounting software uses.
Can I rely on these results for an invoice or tax return?
Use them as a fast, accurate check of the arithmetic. Your invoice or return also depends on rules this calculator cannot see, such as which items are taxable, reduced or exempt, the rounding method, and any local levies. If the figures matter legally, confirm them with your tax authority or a qualified accountant.
Is anything I type saved or sent anywhere?
No. The sums run in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or stored on our servers.
Related calculators
If you are working out a bill, you may also find the percentage calculator useful for quick percentage sums, the discount calculator for sale prices before tax, and the tip and bill split calculator for sharing a restaurant bill that includes tax.