VAT Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 5 October 2026

Currency

VAT mode

Amount

VAT rate

Result

Amount before VAT

$100,000.00

VAT amount

$20,000.00

Amount with VAT

$120,000.00

Working

100,000 × 20% = 20,000; 100,000 + 20,000 = 120,000

This result is informational only and is not professional advice.

Amount before VAT$100,000.00

VAT$20,000.00

Add VAT to a net price, or take it out of a price that already includes it

Add VAT to a net price or remove VAT from a gross price at the UK standard rate of 20%, the reduced rate of 5% or any other rate, with the working shown and the VAT fraction explained.

VAT is added on top of the price before tax, so a net 100 becomes a gross 120 at 20%. The trouble starts when you only have the gross figure: taking 20% off 120 gives 96, not 100, because the VAT was worked out on the smaller net amount.

This calculator does both directions. Choose whether your amount excludes or includes VAT, pick the rate, and it returns the net amount, the VAT and the gross amount, with the arithmetic written out so you can put it straight on an invoice.

How to use

Choose Add VAT if your amount is before tax, or Extract VAT if the tax is already in the price.
Enter the amount and pick the rate: 20% is the UK standard rate and 5% the reduced rate; choose Another rate for any other country or period.
Read the net amount, the VAT and the gross amount, and check the Working line if you need to show the calculation.

UK VAT rates

The standard rate of VAT in the UK is 20% and applies to most goods and services. It went up to 20% on 4 January 2011, from 17.5%. Some things are exempt from VAT altogether, such as postage stamps and financial and property transactions.

Source: GOV.UK, VAT rates. Checked September 2026.
Rate	What it applies to	VAT in a gross price
Standard 20%	Most goods and services	gross × 1/6
Reduced 5%	Some goods and services, for example children's car seats and home energy	gross × 1/21
Zero 0%	Zero-rated goods and services, for example most food and children's clothes	no VAT

How to add VAT and how to remove it

To add VAT, multiply the net amount by the rate: at 20%, VAT on 250 is 250 × 0.2 = 50, and the gross amount is 300. You can do it in one step by multiplying by 1.2.

To remove VAT, divide the gross amount by 1 plus the rate: 300 ÷ 1.2 = 250, so the VAT is 50. The shortcut is the VAT fraction, the rate divided by 100 plus the rate. At 20% that is 20/120, or 1/6, so a gross of 300 contains 50 of VAT. At 5% it is 5/105, or 1/21: a gross of 105 contains 5.

Taking the percentage off the gross figure always removes too much. 20% of 300 is 60, which is 10 more than the VAT actually in the price, and the gap grows with the amount.

20% VAT on common amounts

On the left the amount is before VAT and the tax goes on top; on the right the same amount already includes VAT and the tax is taken out of it.

At 20%, rounded to the penny. Worked out with this calculator.
Amount	VAT added	Gross	Net, if VAT included	VAT included
10	2.00	12.00	8.33	1.67
50	10.00	60.00	41.67	8.33
100	20.00	120.00	83.33	16.67
250	50.00	300.00	208.33	41.67
1,000	200.00	1,200.00	833.33	166.67

What this calculator shows

The net amount, the VAT and the gross amount
The working, with your numbers in the formula
Results at 20%, 5%, 0% or any rate you enter

What to keep in mind

One rate applies to the whole amount; split a mixed basket into lines and work each out separately.
Amounts are rounded to two decimal places.
The rates listed are UK rates; other countries set their own, so choose Another rate for them.

Where the numbers come from

Checked against Article 164 of the Russian Tax Code as amended by Federal Law No. 425-FZ (VAT rates) · verified September 2026.

FAQs

How do I add 20% VAT to a price?

Multiply the price by 1.2. A net price of 250 becomes 300, of which 50 is VAT. To see the VAT alone, multiply the net price by 0.2.

How do I remove VAT from a price?

Divide the gross price by 1.2 at the 20% rate. 300 ÷ 1.2 gives a net price of 250, and the difference, 50, is the VAT.

Why can't I just take 20% off?

Because VAT was worked out on the smaller net price. 20% of the gross price is 20% of a figure that already includes tax, so it removes too much: 60 instead of 50 on a price of 300.

What is the VAT fraction?

The share of a VAT-inclusive price that is VAT: the rate divided by 100 plus the rate. At 20% it is 1/6 and at 5% it is 1/21.

What are the UK VAT rates?

20% standard, 5% reduced, for example on children's car seats and home energy, and 0% zero rate, for example on most food and children's clothes, according to GOV.UK.

When did VAT go up to 20%?

On 4 January 2011, when the standard rate rose from 17.5% to 20%.

How do I remove 5% VAT?

Divide by 1.05, or multiply the gross amount by 1/21 to get the VAT. A gross amount of 105 is 100 before VAT plus 5 of VAT.

Can I use this for VAT in other countries?

Yes. The formulas are the same everywhere; choose Another rate and enter the rate that applies where you are.

Worked example

Removing VAT from a 300 invoice total

Input: Extract VAT; amount 300; rate 20%

Output: Net 250, VAT 50

Note: 300 ÷ 1.2 = 250. Taking 20% off 300 would give 240 and overstate the VAT by 10.

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