Bahrain VAT Calculator

Adds VAT to a price before VAT, or takes it out of a price that includes it, at Bahrain’s standard rate, showing every step.

Based on: Decree-Law No. 48 of 2018, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2021

What do you want to work out?

The price before VAT if you are adding it, or the price including VAT if you are taking it out.

Calculated on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.

VAT estimate

BahrainCalculated on

Enter an amount and press Calculate to see the VAT and the price before and after it.

Estimated amount

Calculated under: Decree-Law No. 48 of 2018, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2021Not legal advice
How we got the amount
StepCalculationAmount (BHD)

How is VAT worked out?

Bahrain charges VAT at a standard rate of 10% from 1 January 2022 under Law No. 33 of 2021, which amended Decree-Law No. 48 of 2018, administered by the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR). The calculator works both ways:

We calculate with full precision, round each figure to the nearest fils (halves away from zero), and work out the last figure by adding or subtracting, so the price before VAT plus the VAT equals the price including VAT exactly, as on an invoice.

Worked examples

Worked with the calculator at 10%, rounded to the fils (three decimals)
ModeAmount entered (BHD)Before VAT (BHD)VAT (BHD)Including VAT (BHD)
Add1,0001,0001001,100
Take out10.9090.0911
Add2,345.6782,345.678234.5682,580.246

Special cases

Three decimals for the dinar

A Bahraini dinar has 1,000 fils, so the calculator rounds each figure to the nearest fils, three places after the decimal point rather than two. That is why a price of one dinar including VAT shows BHD 0.091 of VAT. If your billing system rounds to two places you will see a small difference from the calculator; that is rounding, not a wrong rate.

Invoices from before 2022

Bahrain introduced VAT at 5% on 1 January 2019, and Law No. 33 of 2021 raised it to 10% from 1 January 2022. An invoice issued before that date carries 5%, not 10%. Contracts that started before the change and ran past it follow transitional rules set by the National Bureau for Revenue, so check with the NBR for those.

Zero-rated goods and services

Some supplies are zero-rated, including basic food items, healthcare, education, transport services, construction of new buildings, and oil and gas. No VAT is added to them for the customer, although they stay inside the VAT system. The calculator does not apply to them because it only uses the standard rate.

Exempt supplies

Some services are exempt, including financial services and certain supplies of real estate, land and buildings set by the law. The difference from the zero rate is that a business making exempt supplies usually cannot recover the VAT it paid on its own purchases. For you as a customer the result is the same, no VAT on the invoice, and the tax invoice is what counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the VAT rate in Bahrain?

The standard rate is 10% from 1 January 2022, under Law No. 33 of 2021 amending Decree-Law No. 48 of 2018. It was 5% from the start of VAT on 1 January 2019. The National Bureau for Revenue administers and collects VAT, and no change to the rate had been announced when we last checked.

How do I add VAT to a price?

Multiply the amount by 0.10 to get the VAT, then add it to the amount to get the price including VAT. For BHD 1,000 the VAT is BHD 100 and the total is BHD 1,100. You can also multiply by 1.10 in one go. Choose “Add VAT” in the calculator to see each step in a table under the result, rounded to the fils.

How do I find the VAT inside a VAT-inclusive price?

Divide the inclusive price by 1.10 to get the price before VAT, then subtract that from the inclusive price to get the VAT. One dinar including VAT is BHD 0.909 before VAT plus BHD 0.091 of VAT, not BHD 0.100. Do not take 10% of the inclusive price; choose “Take VAT out” and the calculator does it for you.

Is food subject to VAT in Bahrain?

Basic food items are zero-rated, so no VAT is added to them, and the same goes for healthcare and education. The zero rate only covers items on the official lists, and everything else is taxed at the standard 10%. If you are unsure about a particular item, look at your receipt, which shows the VAT for each line or for the total.

When does a business have to register for VAT?

A business resident in Bahrain must register once its taxable supplies exceed BHD 37,500 a year, and may register voluntarily from BHD 18,750. A business that is not registered may not add VAT to its invoices. Most non-resident businesses have to register when they make their first taxable supply in Bahrain.

Can I use the calculator for my VAT return?

No. The calculator helps you understand a price, an invoice or a quotation. It does not work out the input and output tax that registered businesses report in a return. If your business is registered, use the National Bureau for Revenue’s guides or an accountant. The calculator does not store what you enter; everything is worked out on your device.

Sources

  1. PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Bahrain, Other taxes · accessed 27 September 2026
  2. Trowers & Hamlins — Bahrain VAT: transitional guide (January 2022) · accessed 27 September 2026
  3. Gulf News — Bahrain officially implements 10% VAT (2 January 2022) · accessed 27 September 2026
  4. Grant Thornton — Indirect tax guide: Bahrain (updated 1 January 2025) · accessed 27 September 2026
  5. Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission — Law No. 33 of 2021 amending the VAT Law (Arabic) · accessed 27 September 2026

Please note

This calculator gives an estimate based on the published law. Your contract, company policy or a court decision can change the real amount. It is not legal advice.