How do you find the VAT amount inside a price?
Most shop prices already include VAT, so the tax is hidden inside the number on the shelf. The reverse calculation pulls it back out: divide the VAT-inclusive price by (1 + rate) to get the net figure, then subtract it from the total to leave the tax.
Tax hidden in the total
VAT = gross total × rate ÷ (100 + rate)
At 20% VAT: tax = total ÷ 6. At 5% VAT: tax = total ÷ 21.
Net figure from the total
Net = gross total ÷ (1 + VAT rate)
At 20% VAT: net = total ÷ 1.2. At 5% VAT: net = total ÷ 1.05.
Take a £120 UK restaurant bill at 20% VAT. The tax inside is £120 ÷ 6 = £20, so the net price is £100. In the UAE, an AED 1,050 hotel bill at 5% VAT contains AED 1,050 ÷ 21 = AED 50 of tax, leaving AED 1,000 net. And a €246 German invoice at 19% VAT hides €246 × 19 ÷ 119 = €39.28. The shortcut below — the VAT fraction — gives the same answer in one step for every common rate.
| VAT rate | VAT fraction of the total | Net-price shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| 20% (UK, France) | total ÷ 6 | total ÷ 1.2 |
| 23% (Ireland) | total × 23 ÷ 123 | total ÷ 1.23 |
| 19% (Germany) | total × 19 ÷ 119 | total ÷ 1.19 |
| 15% (Saudi Arabia) | total × 15 ÷ 115 | total ÷ 1.15 |
| 5% (UAE) | total ÷ 21 | total ÷ 1.05 |
Never just subtract the rate from the total: taking 20% off £120 gives £96, not the £100 net price — subtracting a percentage from a VAT-inclusive price always understates the net figure. Use the VAT fraction or the division shortcut instead. The free online VAT calculator runs the same reverse-check instantly if you want to double-check by machine.
What is the VAT amount when the price excludes VAT?
Business-to-business quotes usually show prices before VAT — labelled "ex VAT" or "+ VAT". Here the figure is a forward calculation: VAT = price before VAT × rate. A UAE supplier quotes AED 2,000 before VAT. At 5% VAT: AED 2,000 × 0.05 = AED 100 of VAT, so the invoice total is AED 2,100. A German freelancer quoting €400 net at 19% VAT adds €400 × 0.19 = €76, making the total €476.
Always confirm the VAT was calculated on the final, discounted price — not on a higher list price. If a quote shows a discount, multiply the discounted figure by (1 + rate) and compare it with the supplier's total. For the full worked maths in both directions, see the full VAT calculator guide.
How do you find the VAT rate for a product or service?
Before you can work out the tax in a price, you need the right VAT rate — and not everything is charged at the full rate. Most countries have three bands, and the product decides which one applies:
| Rate band | UK | Typical examples | UAE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | 20% | Most goods and services | 5% |
| Reduced rate | 5% | Home energy, children's car seats | — |
| Zero-rated | 0% | Children's clothes, books, most food | 0% (exports, some supplies) |
| VAT-exempt | — | Residential rent, some financial services | Residential rent |
The official sources are the only ones to trust: the UK tax authority publishes the British rates on GOV.UK, the European Commission publishes every EU member state's rate in its database, and the UAE tax authority publishes the single 5% rate. If the rate on your bill does not match the official one for that country and product, the tax on the bill is wrong before you even check the maths. Our country pages — the UK VAT Calculator and the UAE VAT Calculator — use the exact local rates, and the UK VAT guide explains the British bands in detail.
How do you find a business's VAT number?
The registration number a business must show when it charges VAT — its VAT number — is easiest to find on the business's own paperwork. Work through these in order:
- On the tax invoice — every VAT invoice must show the seller's number: a 9-digit UK number after the "GB" prefix, or the 15-digit TRN on UAE invoices. The invoice header or footer is the first place to look.
- On the business's website — check the footer, contact page or legal section, where VAT-registered businesses usually print the number.
- With the official checker — once you have a number, verify it free: HMRC's checker at gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number confirms UK numbers and returns the business name and address, and the European Commission's VIES service validates numbers from all 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland.
- From just a company name — the checkers validate a number, they do not search by name. South Africa is the exception: the SARS VAT Vendor Search accepts a trading name. Elsewhere, use the country's national business register, such as France's Sirene database or Germany's Handelsregister, which often list tax numbers alongside company details.
Two traps to avoid: since Brexit, UK "GB" numbers are not in VIES — checking one there returns invalid even when it is genuine, so use the UK checker for British numbers and the EU service only for EU ones. And a valid number proves registration, not trustworthiness — it says nothing about whether the business is reliable. Businesses should check a VAT number before the first purchase from a new supplier: you cannot reclaim VAT without a valid invoice carrying a valid number. For the UAE, ask the supplier for the number or look it up through the tax authority portal.
Where is your own VAT number?
Finding your own number is quicker than finding someone else's. In the UK it is printed on the VAT registration certificate the tax authority posts when you register, and it also shows in your Government Gateway business tax account under the VAT section. In the UAE, your 15-digit number is on your tax registration certificate and inside your tax portal account. If the certificate is lost and you cannot log in, call the tax authority — the UK VAT helpline on 0300 200 3700 can confirm your number after checking your identity.
How do you find the VAT on a receipt with no breakdown?
Till slips often show only a total, with no VAT line and no VAT breakdown. You can still work out the tax: if you know the country's standard rate, apply the reverse calculation to the total — a £60 UK till receipt at 20% VAT contains £60 ÷ 6 = £10 of tax. That works only when everything on it was charged at the same rate; a mixed basket (some items taxed, some not, for example) cannot be split from the total alone.
If the receipt shows no rate at all, ask the seller for a proper tax invoice — VAT-registered businesses must issue one on request, and it shows the number, the rate per line and the tax. That document is also what your business needs to reclaim VAT on the purchase, since a plain till slip is not enough. Our guide to checking VAT amounts walks through the full verification, and the UAE 5% VAT guide shows the same check at the Gulf's single rate.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out the VAT amount in a price that already includes VAT?
Use the reverse calculation: VAT = total × rate ÷ (100 + rate). At 20% VAT, divide the total by 6 — a £120 bill contains £20 of VAT. At the UAE's 5%, divide by 21. Never just subtract the rate percentage from the total; that gives the wrong net price.
Can I find the VAT amount without knowing the rate?
Not exactly — the reverse calculation needs the rate. If it shows no rate, use the country's standard rate as a first estimate (20% in the UK, 5% in the UAE), then confirm it: check the official rate tables from the UK tax authority, the EU rate database or the FTA, or ask the seller for a proper tax invoice showing the rate per line.
How do I find a company's number from just its name?
The main checkers validate a number rather than search by name, so start with the company's invoices or website, where VAT-registered businesses print the number. South Africa's SARS VAT Vendor Search is the exception — it accepts a trading name. Elsewhere, use the country's national business register, such as France's Sirene database or Germany's Handelsregister.
How do I check if a VAT number is real?
Run it through the free official checker for its country: the UK checker at gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number for British numbers, the European Commission's VIES service for EU numbers, and the FTA portal for a UAE TRN. A valid result returns the business name and address on file. Since Brexit, UK GB numbers are not in VIES, so use the UK checker for those.
Where do I find my own registration number?
On your VAT registration certificate, and in your online tax account — the Government Gateway business tax account in the UK, or the tax authority portal in the UAE, where your 15-digit number is shown. If both are out of reach, the UK VAT helpline on 0300 200 3700 can confirm your number after checking your identity.
How do I know which VAT rate applies to something I sell?
Check the official rate tables: the UK tax authority publishes the British rates on GOV.UK, the EU publishes every member state's rates, and the UAE tax authority publishes the UAE's 5% rate. Most goods and services sit at the full rate; food, books and children's clothes are often zero-rated in the UK, while residential rent is VAT-exempt.
The 30-second version
- Tax hidden in a price: total × rate ÷ (100 + rate). Shortcuts: 20% → total ÷ 6; 5% → total ÷ 21; 19% → total × 19 ÷ 119.
- Tax before VAT: price before VAT × rate — AED 2,000 at 5% VAT adds AED 100.
- VAT rate: check the official tables — the UK tax authority, the EU rate database, the UAE tax authority — and confirm the product's band.
- Registration number: find it on the invoice or the business's website, then verify it free — the UK checker for British numbers, the EU service for EU numbers, the tax portal for a UAE registration.
- No breakdown shown: work back from the total if the rate is known; otherwise ask the seller for a proper tax invoice.
Run the numbers in the free VAT Calculator or read the full VAT calculator guide.