Add or remove South Africa’s standard 15% VAT in seconds. Enter an amount and choose whether it includes or excludes VAT to see the VAT-exclusive amount, VAT portion and VAT-inclusive total.
This free South African VAT calculator is useful when preparing prices, quotations, invoices or checking the VAT contained in a total.
Calculate VAT
Enter a positive amount in South African rand.
Your VAT calculation
Formula: exclusive amount × 15% = VAT
How to use the South African VAT calculator
The calculator works in both directions: you can add VAT to an exclusive price or find the VAT portion already contained in an inclusive price.
- Choose “Excluding VAT” if VAT still needs to be added, or “Including VAT” if the amount already contains VAT.
- Enter the amount in South African rand.
- The calculator will display the amount excluding VAT, the VAT portion and the amount including VAT.
- Use the copy button if you need to paste the results into another document.
What is the VAT rate in South Africa?
South Africa’s current standard VAT rate is 15%. VAT is generally charged by registered vendors on taxable supplies of goods and services.
Some supplies may be zero-rated or exempt from VAT. The standard 15% calculation therefore does not apply to every transaction. Consult SARS or a qualified tax professional if you are unsure which VAT treatment applies.
How to add 15% VAT
To calculate the VAT amount, multiply the VAT-exclusive price by 15%.
VAT amount = exclusive price × 0.15
To calculate the final VAT-inclusive price, multiply the exclusive price by 1.15.
Inclusive price = exclusive price × 1.15
Example of adding VAT
A service costs R1,000 excluding VAT.
The VAT is R1,000 × 15% = R150.
The final VAT-inclusive price is R1,150.
How to remove VAT from an inclusive price
You should not simply subtract 15% from a VAT-inclusive total. The VAT is calculated from the lower, VAT-exclusive amount.
To find the exclusive amount, divide the inclusive total by 1.15.
Exclusive price = inclusive price ÷ 1.15
To calculate the VAT portion directly, multiply the inclusive total by 15 and divide it by 115.
VAT portion = inclusive price × 15 ÷ 115
Example of removing VAT
A total of R1,150 already includes VAT.
R1,150 ÷ 1.15 = R1,000 excluding VAT.
The VAT portion is therefore R150.
VAT-inclusive versus VAT-exclusive prices
A VAT-inclusive price already contains VAT. It is the complete amount payable by the customer when no other charges need to be added.
A VAT-exclusive price does not yet include VAT. The VAT amount must be added to calculate the final total.
When reviewing a quotation or invoice, check whether its prices are labelled as inclusive or exclusive so that you understand whether VAT will still be added.
VAT calculations and your invoices
Accurate VAT calculations help customers understand what they are paying and help VAT-registered businesses maintain consistent sales records.
A clear invoice should distinguish between:
- The amount before VAT
- The VAT rate applied
- The VAT amount
- The final amount payable
A calculator is useful for checking an individual amount. For regular invoicing, accounting and VAT201 preparation, software can reduce repeated calculations and keep the supporting transactions together.
Create invoices, record income and expenses, and generate useful accounting and VAT reports with payPod—built for South African small businesses.
Try payPod free
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer
This calculator is a general arithmetic tool and does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Results may be rounded to the nearest cent. Confirm the VAT treatment of your transactions with SARS or a qualified professional.