VAT Calculator for the GCC
Pick your country to add VAT to a price or take it out of a price that includes it, and compare the standard rates across the GCC in a table built from the same data the calculators use.
Choose your country
Saudi Arabiastandard rate 15%
UAEstandard rate 5%
Bahrainstandard rate 10%
Omanstandard rate 5%
VAT rates in the GCC
| Country | Standard rate | Since | Before that | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 15% | 1 July 2020 | 5% from 1 January 2018 | the VAT Law and its Implementing Regulations |
| UAE | 5% | 1 January 2018 | VAT started at this rate | Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax |
| Bahrain | 10% | 1 January 2022 | 5% from 1 January 2019 | Decree-Law No. 48 of 2018 on Value Added Tax, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2021 |
| Oman | 5% | 16 April 2021 | VAT started at this rate | the Value Added Tax Law issued by Royal Decree 121/2020 |
Qatar and Kuwait: no VAT yet
Qatar- No VAT yet. The Cabinet has approved a draft law that has not been published, and the General Tax Authority has not announced a start date.
Kuwait- No VAT. Kuwait signed the GCC framework agreement in 2017, but no VAT law has been issued and no start date has been set.
What is VAT?
Value added tax is an indirect tax on sales of goods and services. A registered seller collects it from the buyer together with the price and pays it to the tax authority, after deducting the VAT it paid on its own purchases. The final consumer therefore bears it, and it appears on the invoice as a separate line next to the price before VAT.
Four GCC countries have introduced VAT under the GCC common framework: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman. Each has its own law and standard rate, shown in the table above. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain raised their rates after VAT started; the rate changes section gives the date of each one.
When to use the calculator
- Pricing: you have a price before VAT and need the price the customer pays. Choose “Add VAT”.
- Reading an invoice or a shelf price: you have a VAT-inclusive price and want the VAT in it. Choose “Take VAT out”.
- Checking a quote: first see whether its figures are before or after VAT, then pick the mode.
Each calculator shows the result on an estimate slip with a table of every step, which you can print or share as a link.
Rate changes
- Bahrain raised its rate from 5% to 10% from 1 January 2022.
- Oman introduced VAT at 5% on 16 April 2021.
- Saudi Arabia raised its rate from 5% to 15% from 1 July 2020; ZATCA’s 2026 guidance still applies 15%.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between adding and removing VAT?
Adding starts from the price before VAT; you multiply it by the rate and add the result to reach the price including VAT. Removing starts from the price including VAT, as on a shelf label or an invoice; you divide it by one plus the rate to get the price before VAT, and the difference is the VAT. A common mistake is multiplying the inclusive price by the rate, which overstates the tax.
Why is there no calculator for Qatar or Kuwait?
Because neither country has introduced VAT yet. All six GCC states signed the common framework agreement, but Qatar has not published its VAT law and Kuwait has neither issued a law nor set a date. The section about them on this page sums up the position as our sources report it, and we will add a calculator once a law and a rate are published.
Do shop prices already include VAT?
Usually, yes. UAE law expressly requires advertised prices to include the tax, and shops elsewhere in the GCC normally show consumers the final price. So if you want to know the VAT inside a price you saw, choose remove, not add. Quotations between businesses are often written before VAT, so check what the quote says before you calculate.
Do all goods and services pay the standard rate?
No. Each country zero-rates some supplies, such as exports and, depending on the country, some health, education or basic food items, and exempts others, such as many financial services and residential rent. These calculators use the standard rate only. If what you buy is exempt or zero-rated there is no VAT to add, and the tax invoice is what counts.
How is the VAT rounded?
We work out the VAT at full precision, round it to the smallest unit of the country’s currency (halala, fils or baisa), rounding halves up, then get the other figure by adding or subtracting. That way the price before VAT plus the VAT always equals the price including VAT exactly, as on an invoice. A seller’s system that rounds line by line may differ by one unit.
Can I use this for my VAT return?
No. The calculator helps you understand a price, an invoice or a quote; it does not work out the input and output tax that registered businesses report in a return. If your business is registered, follow your tax authority’s guides or ask an accountant. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere, because the calculation runs on your device.
Sources
- ZATCA — Guideline on Tax Groups under VAT Provisions (May 2026) · accessed 27 September 2026
- ZATCA — About VAT · accessed 27 September 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Saudi Arabia, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
- UAE Federal Tax Authority — Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT and its amendments · accessed 27 September 2026
- UAE Federal Tax Authority — VAT · accessed 27 September 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Bahrain, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
- Trowers & Hamlins — Bahrain VAT: transitional guide (January 2022) · accessed 27 September 2026
- Gulf News — Bahrain officially implements 10% VAT (2 January 2022) · accessed 27 September 2026
- Decree.om — Royal Decree 121/2020 issuing the Value Added Tax Law · accessed 27 September 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Oman, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
- CMS — The introduction of VAT in the Sultanate of Oman: a brief legal guide · accessed 27 September 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Qatar, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Kuwait, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
- Grant Thornton — Indirect tax guide: Bahrain (updated 1 January 2025) · accessed 27 September 2026
- Oman Tax Authority — VAT FAQs · accessed 27 September 2026
- Al Roya — Goods and products subject to VAT at 0% specified (27 September 2026) · accessed 27 September 2026
- Fana News — Tax Authority specifies goods subject to zero-percent VAT (27 September 2026) · accessed 27 September 2026
- Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission — Law No. 33 of 2021 amending the VAT Law (Arabic) · accessed 27 September 2026
Please note
Figures are estimates at the published standard rate. Some goods and services are exempt or zero-rated, and the tax invoice is what counts. Not tax advice.