Calculate gross and net profit from price, unit cost, units sold and fixed costs.
South Africa VAT Calculator
Calculate VAT-inclusive and VAT-exclusive amounts quickly.
Calculated in your browser — your amounts are never sent to our servers
Tax rates and rules can change. Verify current requirements with SARS or a qualified tax professional. This calculator does the arithmetic only — it is not tax advice.
How it works
Choose what your amount represents, and the calculator fills in the other two figures:
- Add VAT — your amount is the net (VAT-exclusive) price. VAT is calculated on it and added to give the total.
- Remove VAT — your amount is the total (VAT-inclusive) price. The calculator works out how much of it is VAT and what’s left as the net amount.
- From VAT amount — the reverse calculation: you know only the VAT, and the calculator works back to the net and total it came from.
Source: the 15% South African standard rate was checked against the SARS VAT page on 16 October 2026. See key South African figures for registration thresholds.
Every result uses the rate shown at the top of the calculator. It starts at South Africa’s standard 15%; type any other rate for a different period, a zero-rated item (0%) or another country’s VAT or GST.
Rounding: amounts are handled in whole cents. The VAT is rounded to the nearest cent (half a cent rounds up), and the remaining figure is derived from it, so net + VAT = total exactly — the same way a single-line invoice adds up. The working line under the results shows the unrounded figure whenever rounding changed it.
Example
Quoting a client (add VAT): your fee is R2,400 excluding VAT. VAT = R2,400 × 15% = R360, so you quote a total of R2,760.
Checking a till slip (remove VAT): you paid R1,150 including VAT. Net = R1,150 ÷ 1.15 = R1,000, so the VAT included is R150 — not R172.50.
Working back from VAT: a supplier’s slip only shows R45 VAT. Net = R45 ÷ 0.15 = R300, and the total was R345.
Rounding in action: remove VAT from R100. Exactly, the VAT is R13.0435, which rounds to R13.04; the net is R100 − R13.04 = R86.96.
How to calculate VAT
You only need one number — the rate. At 15%, that gives three simple multipliers: 0.15, 1.15 and 15/115.
Adding VAT to a VAT-exclusive price
- VAT = net × 0.15
- Total = net × 1.15
Example: R500 net → VAT R75 → total R575.
Removing VAT from a VAT-inclusive price
- Net = total ÷ 1.15
- VAT = total × 15 ÷ 115 (or total − net)
Example: R575 total → net R500 → VAT R75.
Working back from the VAT amount
- Net = VAT ÷ 0.15
- Total = VAT ÷ 0.15 + VAT (or VAT × 115 ÷ 15)
Example: R75 VAT → net R500 → total R575.
Any other rate
Replace 15 with the rate: VAT = net × rate ÷ 100, total = net × (1 + rate ÷ 100), and VAT inside an inclusive price = total × rate ÷ (100 + rate).
Quick reference at 15%
| Net (excl. VAT) | VAT (15%) | Total (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| R100.00 | R15.00 | R115.00 |
| R500.00 | R75.00 | R575.00 |
| R1,000.00 | R150.00 | R1,150.00 |
| R8,695.65 | R1,304.35 | R10,000.00 |
For more detail, read how VAT works in South Africa, VAT-inclusive vs VAT-exclusive pricing and how to calculate VAT manually. Ready to bill? The invoice generator adds VAT to each line for you.
Tax rates and rules can change. Verify current requirements with SARS or a qualified tax professional. This calculator does the arithmetic only — it is not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the VAT rate in South Africa?
The standard rate is 15%, in effect since 1 April 2018 (it was 14% before that). Some supplies are zero-rated (0%) or exempt. Rates are set in the national budget and can change, so confirm the current rate with SARS — you can change the rate in this calculator at any time.
How do I remove 15% VAT from a price?
Divide the VAT-inclusive price by 1.15 to get the net (VAT-exclusive) amount. The VAT portion is the inclusive price × 15 ÷ 115. For R1,150 that gives R1,000 net and R150 VAT.
Why can’t I just subtract 15% from the inclusive price?
Because the 15% was charged on the smaller, VAT-exclusive amount. Taking 15% of the inclusive price removes too much: on R1,150 the VAT is R150, not R172.50.
How do I find the price when I only know the VAT amount?
Choose “From VAT amount”. At 15%, the net amount is the VAT × 100 ÷ 15 (or VAT ÷ 0.15), and the total is net + VAT. R150 VAT means R1,000 net and R1,150 total.
How does the calculator round?
The VAT is rounded to the nearest cent, and the other figure is worked out from it, so net + VAT always equals the total exactly. On multi-line invoices, rounding each line can differ from rounding the total by a cent or two — follow the method your accounting software uses.
What is the difference between zero-rated and exempt?
Both mean no VAT is added to the price. A zero-rated supply is taxable at 0%, so the seller can still claim back VAT on related costs; an exempt supply is outside the VAT system, so the seller generally can’t. Use 0% in the calculator for zero-rated items.
Are my numbers saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to ToolTarvern. Only if you tick “Remember this rate” is the rate (not your amounts) saved in this browser’s local storage. Reset clears it.
Related tools
Find the selling price from cost and markup, or the markup from cost and price.
Calculate gross margin, the price needed for a target margin, or the maximum cost you can afford.
Create a professional invoice or tax invoice with VAT, then download it as a PDF or print it.
Convert pay between hourly, monthly and annual, and estimate South African PAYE and UIF.
Related guides
How VAT works in South Africa: a plain-English guide
What VAT is, who charges it, output and input tax, zero-rated vs exempt supplies, and what it means for your prices — with a worked example.
· 7 min read
VAT-inclusive vs VAT-exclusive pricing: which to use and when
When to show prices including or excluding VAT, how to avoid quoting mistakes, how to set retail price points, and how to compare supplier quotes fairly.
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How to calculate VAT manually in South Africa (with worked examples)
Add or remove 15% VAT by hand, work back from a VAT amount, avoid the most common mistake, and get rounding right — with formulas for spreadsheets too.
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