VAT calculator (South Africa)
Add or remove South Africa’s 15% VAT in one step: R1,000 plus VAT is R1,150, and a VAT-inclusive R1,150 holds R150 of VAT. The planned rise to 15.5% was cancelled, so VAT is still 15% in 2026.
Updated:
With VAT
R 1,150.00
VAT
R 150.00
Without VAT
R 1,000.00
Worked out in your browser; the amounts you type are not sent anywhere.
Excluding and including VAT
- Excluding → including: VAT = price excluding VAT × 15%; price including VAT = price × 1.15.
- Including → excluding: price excluding VAT = price including VAT ÷ 1.15; VAT = the difference, or the price × 15 ÷ 115.
- Rounded to the cent, half up. When VAT is removed, the price excluding VAT and the VAT always add up to the price.
A slip of R99.99 including VAT: 99.99 ÷ 1.15 = 86.947… → R86.95 excluding VAT VAT: 99.99 − 86.95 = R13.04
VAT is not 15% of the price including VAT. 15% of R1,150 is R172.50, but the VAT inside R1,150 is R150: 1,150 × 15 ÷ 115.
Still 15%: the increase was reversed
VAT was to rise to 15.5% on 1 May 2025 and to 16% on 1 April 2026. Clause 13 of the Bill introduced on 24 April 2025 reversed that, so the standard rate is still 15% (SARS).
Zero-rated items on the same slip
A limited range of goods and services is zero-rated (VAT at 0%) or exempt from VAT. If a slip mixes them with standard-rated goods, press Add an item at another rate and choose 0% for those lines; VAT is worked out per rate and added up.
R200 of zero-rated goods + R300 of standard-rated goods, excluding VAT: 200 × 0% = R0.00 300 × 15% = R45.00 VAT R45.00, slip R545.00
Who charges VAT
- VAT is charged by registered vendors. Registration is compulsory once your taxable supplies go over R2.3 million a year, from 1 April 2026; it was R1 million.
- You may register voluntarily once your supplies are above R120,000 a year; it was R50,000.
- A vendor pays SARS the VAT charged on sales (output tax) less the VAT paid on purchases (input tax); when input tax is more, SARS refunds the difference.
VAT and your credit book
Write a sale on credit at what the customer will pay, VAT included, the same as on the slip. Baki Fast is a credit book, not invoicing software: it does not issue tax invoices, so keep issuing those as usual. To send a customer the list of what they owe, see account statements.
Sources
- SARS: Value-Added Tax (checked 3 Nov 2026)
Put this calculator on your site
Copy the code into your page. The tool works for free, with a small Baki Fast link under it.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by country and change over time; check with an accountant or a lawyer before you decide.
Questions
How do I calculate the price excluding VAT?
Divide the price including VAT by 1.15. R2,300 ÷ 1.15 = R2,000 excluding VAT, so the VAT is R300.
How do I add 15% VAT to a price?
Multiply the price excluding VAT by 1.15. R2,000 × 1.15 = R2,300, of which R300 is VAT.
Did VAT go up to 15.5% or 16%?
No. Both increases, to 15.5% in May 2025 and to 16% in April 2026, were reversed by clause 13 of the Bill introduced on 24 April 2025, so VAT stays at 15%.