INCOME & TAX / FREE CALCULATOR

South African VAT calculator

Add VAT to a price or work backwards from an inclusive amount, with a clear breakdown.

YOUR NUMBERS

Let’s work it out.

Calculated on your device. Save a copy only when you choose.

A CLEARER PICTURE

VAT-inclusive amount

R 1 150,00

Rounded to cents · custom rates are illustrative

VAT-exclusive amount: R 1 000,00
VAT amount: R 150,00
VAT-inclusive amount: R 1 150,00

See the full breakdown

ESTIMATE · NOT A QUOTATION

Save this scenario, then change your inputs to compare the results.

BEHIND THE NUMBER

Your calculation, unpacked.

VAT-exclusive amount: R 1 000,00
VAT amount: R 150,00
VAT-inclusive amount: R 1 150,00

UNDERSTAND THE TRADE-OFFS

Small changes.
Different possibilities.

Try changing one input at a time. Compare the total cost, as well as the monthly number.

THE WORKINGS

How this calculation works

To add VAT, multiply the exclusive price by the rate divided by 100. To remove VAT, divide the inclusive price by (1 + rate/100). VAT is the difference between the rounded inclusive and exclusive totals.

A worked example

At 15%, an exclusive price of R1 000 has R150 VAT and a total of R1 150. Removing VAT from R1 150 gives R1 000 exclusive and R150 VAT.

Assumptions & limitations

The standard South African rate is 15%, effective from 1 April 2018 and verified on 3 November 2026. No future rate is assumed.
A custom rate is a user scenario, not a statement of law. This tool does not determine whether a supply is taxable, zero-rated or exempt.
Rounding is half-up to cents per calculation. Invoice line-by-line rounding can produce small differences.

Source: SARS standard VAT rate · verified 4 November 2026.

Read a little further.

Income & tax4 MIN READ

Understanding VAT in South Africa

Know when to add VAT, when to divide it out, and what a calculation cannot tell you.

Read the guide