Tool
VAT calculator — UK, France & Germany
Enter an amount with or without VAT, pick the country and rate. We show net, VAT and gross instantly — no signup.
Enter the net amount before VAT is applied.
- Net
- £100.00
- VAT
- £20.00
- Gross
- £120.00
Illustration only — not tax, legal or accounting advice. Common standard/reduced bands only; exemptions, reverse charge and local rules may apply.
Flat Rate Scheme: does it actually save you money?
Under the Flat Rate Scheme you still charge customers the normal 20%, but you pay HMRC a fixed percentage of your VAT-inclusive turnover and reclaim no input VAT. Whether that wins depends entirely on how much input VAT you would otherwise have recovered.
Your sales excluding VAT. We add 20% to get the gross takings the flat rate is applied to.
HMRC sets one per trade — 14.5% for management consultancy, 12% for computer repair. Check yours before relying on this.
VAT on purchases and overheads. The scheme generally blocks this, the exception being capital assets over £2,000 including VAT.
Takes 1 percentage point off your rate for the first 12 months.
Goods spend under 2% of turnover, or under £1,000 a year. Forces the 16.5% rate whatever your sector.
- Gross takings (VAT-inclusive)
- £36,000.00
- Rate applied
- 14.5%
- Flat Rate Scheme — pay HMRC
- £5,220.00
- Standard accounting — pay HMRC
- £5,600.00
- Flat Rate saves you
- £380.00
Join at or below £150,000 excluding VAT; you must leave once income exceeds £230,000 including VAT. Limited cost businesses pay 16.5% whatever their sector. Illustration only — not tax advice.
VAT questions answered
- What is the standard VAT rate in the UK?
- The UK standard VAT rate is 20%. A reduced rate of 5% applies to items such as domestic energy and children's car seats. A zero rate (0%) applies to most food, children's clothing, and books.
- What are the VAT rates in France?
- France has a standard TVA rate of 20%. A reduced rate of 10% applies to restaurants and some transport. A further reduced rate of 5.5% covers most food, books, and renewable energy equipment. A super-reduced rate of 2.1% applies to certain medicines and press publications.
- What are the VAT rates in Germany?
- Germany's standard Mehrwertsteuer (MwSt) rate is 19%. A reduced rate of 7% applies to food, books, newspapers, public transport, and hotel accommodation.
- What is the VAT registration threshold in the UK?
- UK businesses must register for VAT when their taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period (unchanged since 1 April 2024). Once registered, you must charge VAT on taxable sales and submit returns — usually quarterly — via HMRC MTD, which is mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses.
- Is the VAT Flat Rate Scheme worth it?
- It depends entirely on your input VAT. You pay a fixed percentage of VAT-inclusive turnover and reclaim nothing on purchases, so it wins for service businesses with low costs and loses for anyone buying a lot. A management consultancy on 14.5% invoicing £30,000 plus £6,000 VAT with £400 of input VAT pays £5,220 under the scheme against £5,600 under standard accounting — £380 better a quarter. If you are a limited cost business, goods spend under 2% of turnover or under £1,000 a year, you pay 16.5% and the scheme is usually worse. Join at or below £150,000 excluding VAT and leave once income exceeds £230,000 including VAT.
- How do I calculate VAT from a gross (VAT-inclusive) price?
- To extract VAT from a gross price, divide by (1 + VAT rate). For example, to find the VAT in a £120 gross price at 20%: £120 ÷ 1.20 = £100 net; VAT = £20. This calculator does both directions — just select whether your amount includes or excludes VAT.