{
  "slug": "vat",
  "title": "VAT Calculator",
  "heading": "VAT Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/vat",
  "summary": "Add or remove VAT at any rate.",
  "description": "Works in both directions: add VAT to a net price, or strip it out of a gross price to find the net. Handy for UK and EU invoicing where quoted prices may or may not include tax.",
  "formula": "Gross = Net × (1 + Rate). Net = Gross ÷ (1 + Rate).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=vat",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "amount",
      "label": "Amount",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1200,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "rate",
      "label": "VAT rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    },
    {
      "id": "direction",
      "label": "Direction",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "add",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "add",
          "label": "Add VAT to a net amount"
        },
        {
          "value": "remove",
          "label": "Remove VAT from a gross amount"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "gross",
      "label": "Gross (incl. VAT)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "net",
      "label": "Net (excl. VAT)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "vat",
      "label": "VAT amount",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "rate",
      "label": "Rate applied",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Amount: 1200 $",
      "VAT rate: 20 %",
      "Direction: Add VAT to a net amount"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Gross (incl. VAT): $1,440.00",
      "Net (excl. VAT): $1,200.00",
      "VAT amount: $240.00",
      "Rate applied: 20.0%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter amount ($).",
      "Enter vat rate (%).",
      "Enter direction.",
      "Read your gross (incl. vat) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "amount": 720,
        "rate": 20,
        "direction": "add"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "amount": 1200,
        "rate": 20,
        "direction": "add"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "amount": 1920,
        "rate": 20,
        "direction": "add"
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the vat calculator work?",
      "a": "Works in both directions: add VAT to a net price, or strip it out of a gross price to find the net. Handy for UK and EU invoicing where quoted prices may or may not include tax. The underlying maths is: Gross = Net × (1 + Rate). Net = Gross ÷ (1 + Rate)."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "3 values: amount, vat rate, and direction. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the gross (incl. vat) result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sales-tax",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/discount"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — VAT Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/vat)"
}