How does the VAT calculator work?
Value Added Tax (VAT, or IVA in Spanish) is a tax added to the price of most goods and services. This calculator works in two directions: it can add VAT to a price that does not include it, or remove it from a price that already does, so you know exactly what the base is and how much is tax.
VAT formulas
Remove VAT: Base = Total / (1 + rate/100)
In each case the VAT is the difference between the total and the base.
Worked example (10% VAT)
You have a service with a tax-free price of 1,000,000:
- VAT = 1,000,000 × 0.10 = 100,000
- Final price with VAT = 1,000,000 + 100,000 = 1,100,000
If instead you are given the final price of 1,100,000 with VAT included and want the base: 1,100,000 / 1.10 = 1,000,000, and the VAT contained is 100,000.
What is calculating VAT useful for?
- Invoicing correctly: as a freelancer or business, you need to separate the base from the tax on each invoice.
- Comparing real prices: knowing how much of a price is tax helps you compare offers with and without VAT.
- Budgeting big purchases: on appliances, vehicles or services, VAT can be a significant share of the total cost.
- Filing taxes: if you are a taxpayer, knowing the VAT charged and paid is key to your monthly filing.
Frequently asked questions about VAT
To add VAT, multiply the tax-free price by the rate: VAT = price × (rate/100). The final price is the price plus the VAT. To remove VAT from a price that already includes it, divide the total by (1 + rate/100).
Adding VAT starts from a net price (without tax) and adds the tax. Removing VAT starts from a gross price (that already includes the tax) and works out the base without VAT. A common mistake is to multiply and divide by the same rate: it does not give the same result.
The most common general rates are: Paraguay 10%, Mexico 16%, Colombia 19%, Chile 19%, Argentina 21%, Peru 18%, Uruguay 22%. Many countries also have reduced rates for certain goods and services.
Because VAT was calculated on the base, not on the total. If a product costs 110 with 10% VAT, the base is 100 and the VAT is 10. Subtracting 10% from 110 would give 99, which is wrong. The correct way is to divide 110 / 1.10 = 100.
No. Most countries exempt or apply a zero rate to basic items such as certain foods, medicines, education or health. This calculator assumes a single rate; use the one that applies to your product or service.