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Quick answer: to add 16% VAT, multiply the price by 1.16. To remove VAT from a VAT-inclusive total, divide by 1.16: KES 1,160 梅 1.16 = KES 1,000, so the VAT is KES 160.
Work out a VAT-inclusive price for an invoice, or find the VAT-exclusive price hiding inside a total. Enter one price, pick a rate, done.
Free, instant, and built for Kenyan invoices and pricing.
One-click examples
These open the calculator with the numbers already in place. Change the price or rate and the breakdown updates instantly. Use a custom rate only when you have confirmed that it applies.
Adding VAT starts from a price before tax. Removing VAT starts from a price that already includes it.
Use the general 16% rate or 0% only for a confirmed zero-rated supply. Exempt supplies require separate treatment.
See the price before VAT, the VAT amount, and the price including VAT, ready to quote or invoice.
VAT-inclusive vs VAT-exclusive
A "VAT-exclusive" price is the amount before tax - what you would charge if there were no VAT at all. A "VAT-inclusive" price is the full amount a customer actually pays, tax included. Getting the two mixed up on an invoice or price list is one of the most common pricing mistakes for small businesses.
If you are quoting a price to a customer, you usually want the VAT-inclusive total. If you are working out how much of a sale is actually revenue for your business, you want the VAT-exclusive amount. This calculator gives you both, along with the VAT amount itself, from a single number.
KRA lists 16% as the general rate for taxable supplies and 0% for specified zero-rated supplies. The old 8% petroleum rate ended on 1 July 2023. VAT-exempt supplies are different from zero-rated supplies. Confirm how your particular goods or services are classified before charging VAT.
For statutory guidance, use KRA's current VAT guidance and current VAT rate schedules. This tool is for everyday pricing and invoicing, not a substitute for filing advice.
For LinkDuka sellers
Once you have a VAT-inclusive price, use it straight away: put it on a customer invoice, or feed it back into your product pricing to make sure VAT is not eating into your margin.
Learn the mechanics
See worked, step-by-step examples of adding and removing VAT - on retail prices, service fees, supplier invoices, and full shop pricing - written for Kenyan small businesses.
A VAT-inclusive price already has VAT added to it - it is the total amount a customer pays. A VAT-exclusive price is the amount before VAT is added. This calculator converts between the two at any VAT rate.
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