Reverse VAT Calculator
Enter a price that includes VAT and the rate, and see the net price and the VAT inside it. It can add VAT to a net price too.
Result
- Net amount (excluding VAT)
- 100.00
- VAT at 20%
- 20.00
- Gross amount (including VAT)
- 120.00
Enter an amount and a rate of 0 or more.
Working
Net = 120.00 ÷ 1.2 = 100.00
VAT = 120.00 − 100.00 = 20.00
United Kingdom, standard rate 20%. Source: GOV.UK / HMRC, last verified .
Rounded to two decimals. The VAT is the gross minus the net, so the three figures always add up.
How to calculate reverse VAT
A price that includes VAT is the net price plus the VAT on it. To work backwards, divide the gross price by 1 plus the rate as a decimal. That gives the net price, and the VAT is whatever is left. At the UK standard rate of 20%:
- Net = 120.00 ÷ 1.2 = 100.00
- VAT = 120.00 − 100.00 = 20.00
You can also get the VAT in one step by multiplying the gross price by rate ÷ (100 + rate). HMRC calls this the VAT fraction (VAT Notice 700, section 7.3.1). For the UK rates:
- 20%: net = gross ÷ 1.2; VAT = gross × 20/120, which is 1/6 of the gross
- 5%: net = gross ÷ 1.05; VAT = gross × 5/105, which is 1/21 of the gross
A common mistake is to take 20% of the gross price. On 120.00 that gives 24.00, but the VAT inside 120.00 is 20.00, because the rate applies to the net price, not to the total. Going the other way is simpler: VAT = net × rate ÷ 100, and the gross price is the net plus the VAT. Choose Excludes VAT above to do that.
How to use the calculator
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Say whether your amount includes VAT
Includes VAT takes the VAT out of a gross price. Excludes VAT adds it to a net price.
-
Type the amount
Any currency works, since the result is plain arithmetic. Figures are shown with two decimals.
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Choose the rate
Pick a country from the list or type a rate in the box. The source of the selected rate shows under the result.
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Read the result
The net amount, the VAT and the gross amount update as you type, with the two lines of working that produce them.
UK VAT rates in the calculator
The list starts with the UK rates: the standard rate of 20%, which the calculator opens on, then the reduced rate of 5% and the zero rate of 0%.
VAT and GST rates for 42 countries
The other presets are each country's standard rate. Every row below links to the page it was checked against and gives the date of that check. For a reduced rate, choose Other rate and type it.
Canada: the preset is the 5% federal GST. In the provinces that charge HST instead, the rate is 13% in Ontario; 14% in Nova Scotia; 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island (Canada Revenue Agency, last verified 2026-09-25). For those provinces, type the HST rate into the rate box.
India has several GST rates and no single standard one, so type the rate that applies. Where the table says No VAT, there is nothing to take out.
From a VAT-inclusive price to a VAT invoice
If you agreed a price with VAT included, the net price is what goes on the invoice lines, and the VAT is added on top in the totals. Work out the net here, then enter it as the unit price in the VAT Invoice Generator, which adds the VAT back and shows the net, the VAT and the total on the PDF.
Related tools
- VAT Invoice Generator: an invoice with VAT numbers, the tax point, the VAT rate and a reverse charge note.
- Credit Note Generator: credit part or all of an invoice, with the tax on the credited amount.
- Free Invoice Generator: a general invoice with the tax label and rate you choose.
Questions
Why is the VAT not 20% of the price I paid?
Because the 20% is charged on the net price. In a VAT-inclusive price the VAT is 20/120 of the total, which is 1/6, so 120.00 holds 20.00 of VAT, not 24.00.
How is this different from the reverse charge?
They answer different questions. This calculator works back from a price that already includes VAT. The reverse charge is a set of rules for certain supplies, and HMRC notes that special invoice rules apply to supplies subject to it (VAT Notice 700/21, section 4.1). The VAT Invoice Generator has a Reverse charge box that prints a note on the invoice.
Does it work for GST and other sales taxes?
Yes, whenever the tax is a percentage added on top of the net price. The list has presets for GST in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Canada, and Japan's consumption tax. For any other rate, type it into the rate box.
Related pages
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