Calculate VAT and work it back out
Enter an amount and pick the rate. You see the amount excluding VAT, the VAT itself and the amount including VAT straight away. Dutch and Belgian rates, free and without an account.
- Excluding VAT
- €82.64
- VAT 21%
- €17.36
- Including VAT
- €100.00
Calculation: 100.00 ÷ 1.21 = 82.64
How the sum works
Adding VAT
Got an amount excluding VAT? Multiply it by 1.21 and you have the amount including 21% VAT. The difference between the two is the VAT.
Working VAT back out
Got only the amount including VAT? Divide it by 1.21 and you have the amount excluding 21% VAT. What comes off is the VAT.
Careful: subtracting 21% from that amount gives an answer that is too low. The VAT was calculated over the amount excluding VAT, not over the amount including it.
The VAT rates
Per rate you see what to multiply by to add the VAT, and what to divide by to work it back out.
VAT rates in Netherlands
| Rate | Add VAT | Remove VAT | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21% | × 1.21 | ÷ 1.21 | Most goods and services. The standard rate. |
| 9% | × 1.09 | ÷ 1.09 | Among others food, books, medicines, hairdressers and bicycle repairs. |
| 0% | × 1.00 | ÷ 1.00 | Mainly supplies going abroad. Not the same as exempt. |
Which rate applies differs per product or service. Not sure? Check with the Belastingdienst.
VAT rates in Belgium
| Rate | Add VAT | Remove VAT | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21% | × 1.21 | ÷ 1.21 | Most goods and services. The standard rate. |
| 12% | × 1.12 | ÷ 1.12 | Among others restaurant and catering services (drinks excluded), social housing and margarine. |
| 6% | × 1.06 | ÷ 1.06 | Among others food, water, medicines, books, passenger transport, hotels and renovating homes over ten years old. |
| 0% | × 1.00 | ÷ 1.00 | Among others daily papers and magazines published at least 48 times a year. |
Which rate applies differs per product or service. Not sure? Check with the Belgian tax authority (FOD Financiën).
Round per rate, over the total
Does your invoice have several lines? Then you calculate the VAT per rate over the summed subtotal, and round to whole cents after that. Rounding per line first and adding those amounts up can differ by a cent. This calculator works the same way, and so does factuurmaken on your invoice.
Frequently asked questions about calculating VAT
More about VAT and invoicing
Calculating VAT in the Netherlands: 21%, 9% and 0% explained
How do you calculate VAT (btw) on a Dutch invoice? The three rates explained, with worked examples, reverse calculation and the rounding rule.
The Dutch small businesses scheme (KOR): invoicing without VAT
What is the KOR and when is it worth it? The 20,000 euro turnover threshold, what it means for your invoices, and the pros and cons.
What must a Dutch invoice contain? The mandatory details
A complete checklist of the invoice details the Dutch tax office requires, explained item by item, with the special cases for VAT exemption and reverse charge.
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