Tax Calculator
Free tax calculator — add sales tax, VAT, or GST to any price, or extract tax from a total. Works for any currency and tax rate. Instant results.
Disclaimer: This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Results may vary based on your specific circumstances. Always consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
This general-purpose Tax Calculator handles the two calculations that come up constantly when quoting prices, checking invoices, or reconciling receipts: adding a percentage-based tax to a pre-tax amount, and extracting the tax component from a total that already includes tax. Enter the amount and the rate, choose whether the figure you're starting from is tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive, and the breakdown appears instantly — no spreadsheet formula required.
Worked example — adding tax: a $100 item with an 8% sales tax rate becomes $108 total ($100 pre-tax + $8 tax). Worked example — extracting tax: if a customer paid $108 and that price already included 8% tax, the pre-tax amount is $108 ÷ 1.08 = $100, and the tax component is $8. The same math applies whether you're working in dollars, pounds, euros, or rupees — the calculator is currency-agnostic and works with any percentage-based consumption tax.
Tax-inclusive vs tax-exclusive pricing conventions differ by region, and mixing them up is a common source of invoicing errors. In the United States, sales tax is almost always quoted exclusive — the sticker price is pre-tax and tax is added at checkout. In the UK, EU, and most VAT/GST countries, consumer-facing prices are typically quoted inclusive of VAT or GST, meaning the tax is already baked into the number you see. When pricing for an international client or reconciling a supplier invoice from a different country, checking which convention applies before you calculate can save you from over- or under-charging by the tax percentage.
This tax calculator handles GST, VAT, HST, and generic sales tax the same way, since they are all percentage-of-price calculations regardless of the label. It's particularly useful for freelancers and small business owners who need to quickly confirm whether a client quote should be presented inclusive or exclusive of tax, verify that an invoice total matches the expected gross amount after applying a local rate, or double-check a receipt or supplier invoice where the tax math looks off.
For invoices with multiple line items at different tax rates — some standard-rated, some zero-rated or exempt — calculate each line separately, since this tax calculator works on one amount and one rate at a time. If you need tax applied automatically across a full multi-line invoice, use the Invoice Maker tool, which calculates VAT per line item and totals it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I calculate compound or cascading tax?
The tool calculates simple percentage tax. For compound tax scenarios, calculate each layer separately and feed the output into the next calculation.
- Does it work for VAT in Europe and GST in Australia?
Yes. Any percentage-based consumption tax works the same way in the calculation. Enter your local rate and whether the price is inclusive or exclusive.
- Can I calculate tax on multiple items at once?
The calculator works on one amount at a time. For multi-item totals, use the Invoice Maker which applies tax across all line items.
- Is there a free tax calculator online?
Yes. This tax calculator is completely free. Enter an amount and tax rate to add or extract tax instantly. Works for any currency and any percentage-based tax — sales tax, VAT, GST, or HST.
- How do I calculate reverse tax (extract tax from an inclusive price)?
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