VAT calculator
Add VAT to a net price, or work out how much VAT is inside a gross price. Pick a rate or type your own.
How it works
- Choose whether your amount is without VAT (net) or with VAT (gross).
- Type the amount and pick the rate, such as 21 % or 9 % for the Netherlands.
- Read the net price, the VAT and the gross price. Copy any of them with one click.
How VAT is worked out
Adding VAT is simple: multiply the net price by the rate. At 21 %, 100 net becomes 21 VAT and 121 gross.
Removing VAT is where people often go wrong. You cannot take 21 % off the gross price, because the VAT was calculated on the smaller net price. Instead, divide the gross price by 1.21. So 121 gross is 100 net, and the VAT is 21, not 25.41.
Amounts are rounded to whole cents per line, the way an invoice is. When you add up many invoice lines, your bookkeeping software may round per line or per total, which can differ by a cent.
Working out Dutch BTW (VAT) on invoices
In the Netherlands the standard BTW rate is 21 percent and the low rate is 9 percent, which covers food, books, medicines and some services such as hairdressers and bike repairs. When you send an invoice, you add the BTW to your price excluding tax. When you get a receipt, you often need the BTW amount inside the total for your bookkeeping.
To add BTW, multiply by 1.21 or 1.09. To take it out, divide by the same number. A quick check: at 21 percent, the BTW inside a total is 21 divided by 121 of it, about 17.4 percent, not 21 percent. That is the most common mistake on receipts.
Invoices to business customers in other EU countries can be reverse charged, and then you charge no BTW at all. Check the rules of the Belastingdienst or your accountant for your own case. In Belgium the rates are 21, 12 and 6 percent, and in Germany 19 and 7 percent.
Questions
Which VAT rate should I use?
It depends on the product and the country. In the Netherlands most things are 21 %, while food, books, medicines and some services are 9 %. Exports and some international services can be 0 %. Belgium uses 21, 12 and 6 %, Germany 19 and 7 %, France 20, 10, 5.5 and 2.1 %. Check the rules of your tax office when in doubt.
How do I calculate the amount excluding VAT?
Choose Remove VAT, type the gross amount and pick the rate. The net amount is the gross amount divided by 1 plus the rate, for example 242 divided by 1.21 is 200.
Is BTW the same as VAT?
Yes. BTW is the Dutch and Belgian name for value added tax. In Germany it is called MwSt or USt, in France TVA.
Are the rates kept up to date?
The chips show the standard rates as they are known to us, but rates change from time to time. You can always pick Other and type the exact rate you need.
How much BTW is inside a price of 100 euro?
At 21 percent it is 17.36 euro, and the price without BTW is 82.64 euro. At 9 percent it is 8.26 euro.
Can I use it for other currencies?
Yes. The sums are the same for any currency. The euro sign is just a label.
Can I use it for US sales tax?
Yes, choose Other and type your local rate. Keep in mind that US prices are usually shown without tax, so you mostly need Add VAT.
Something not working, or a tool you miss?