ScanSpotVAT Calculator
Add tax to a net price or strip it out of a gross one — the correct way.
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🧾 VAT Calculator
Add tax to a net amount or take it out of a gross one — the correct way.
Add tax to a net price, or strip tax out of a gross one. Choose a rate and a direction and the calculator returns the net amount, the tax and the gross amount. Removing tax is the case people get wrong most often: to take 20% VAT out of a gross figure you divide by 1.20 rather than subtracting 20%, because the tax was charged on the smaller net amount in the first place.
How to use the VAT Calculator
- Enter the amount.
- Enter the tax rate as a percentage.
- Choose Add tax to go from net to gross, or Remove tax to go from gross to net.
- Read the net, the tax and the gross figures — the tax line is the one you need for a return or an expense claim.
Why people use it
- Invoicing: separating the tax line from your actual revenue.
- Expense claims: recovering the tax portion of a receipt.
- Pricing: seeing whether a headline price still leaves margin once tax is removed.
- Cross-border work: checking a rate a supplier or marketplace has quoted.
Frequently asked questions
Why is removing VAT not simply subtracting the percentage?
Because the tax is charged on the net amount, not the gross. At 20%, gross equals net times 1.20, so to recover the net you divide the gross by 1.20. Subtracting 20% from the gross gives a smaller net than the truth and overstates the tax.
Which rate should I use?
Use the rate that applies where the sale is taxed. Rates differ widely between countries and by category — food, books and children's clothing are commonly reduced or zero-rated. When in doubt, check the rate published by the relevant tax authority.
Does it work for GST, sales tax and service tax?
Yes. Any percentage-based tax on a sale behaves the same way, so the tool suits VAT, GST, sales tax and consumption tax. Only the label changes; the arithmetic does not.