VAT calculator
Add VAT to a price, or strip it out of one that already includes it. With the net and tax split, which is what an invoice needs.
Your figures
Result
- Net amount$10082.6%
- VAT (21%)$2117.4%
- Net amount
- $100.00
- VAT
- $21.00
- Rate applied
- 21%
- VAT as a share of the total
- 17.36%
What we assume
- The preset rates are the ones in force in mainland Spain and the Balearics: 21%, 10% and 4%.
- The Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla have their own taxes. Use "another rate" for those, or for any other country.
- Which rate applies to a given product or service is set by law; this tool does not decide that for you.
- Equivalence surcharge and intra-EU transactions are not covered.
How it is calculated
Adding VAT is a multiplication: total = net x (1 + rate).
Removing it is the part people get wrong. You divide, you do not subtract the same percentage:
net = total / (1 + rate)
Why subtracting 21% does not work
Take 21% off 121 and you get 95.59, not 100. The 21% was calculated on the net amount, not on the total, so going back the other way needs a division. It is the same trap as any percentage applied to a different base.
An example
100 plus 21% VAT is 121. Going the other way, a total of 121 breaks down into 100 net and 21 of VAT — which is 17.36% of the total, not 21%.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the net amount from a price that includes VAT?
Divide by 1 plus the rate. At 21%, divide by 1.21. Subtracting 21% gives the wrong answer, because the tax was worked out on the net figure.
Can I use it for other countries?
Yes. Pick "another rate" and enter yours. The maths is the same everywhere; only the rate changes.
Why is VAT 17.36% of the total and not 21%?
Because 21% is measured against the net amount and the total is bigger. The same tax is a smaller share of a larger number.
Keep calculating
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Updated on 2026-08-26. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you type is sent to a server.