Almost every country in the world levies a broad consumption tax — called VAT in Europe and much of the world, GST in countries like Australia, Canada, India, and Singapore, and sales tax in the United States. When you price products, invoice across borders, or configure a tax engine, you need the correct standard rate per country. This reference bundles the standard rate for 160+ jurisdictions and includes a net/gross calculator.
How it works
The tool holds a per-country table of standard consumption-tax rates compiled from OECD, IMF, and national tax-authority publications. For each country it records the headline standard rate and the local name of the tax (VAT, GST, or sales tax).
The built-in calculator works two ways:
- Add tax to a net price:
tax = net * rate / 100, thengross = net + tax. - Extract tax from a gross price:
net = gross / (1 + rate/100), thentax = gross - net.
Rates by region — illustrative examples
| Country | Tax name | Standard rate |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | MwSt (VAT) | 19% |
| France | TVA (VAT) | 20% |
| United Kingdom | VAT | 20% |
| Sweden | Moms (VAT) | 25% |
| Canada | GST (federal) | 5% |
| Australia | GST | 10% |
| Japan | Consumption Tax | 10% |
| India | GST (standard) | 18% |
| Singapore | GST | 9% |
| Brazil | Multiple taxes | varies |
| United States | Sales tax | no national rate |
Rates and tax names are confirmed from OECD and national tax authority sources and updated periodically. Always verify against the official authority before using in a filing or contract.
VAT vs GST vs sales tax — what’s the difference in practice?
VAT and GST work the same way: tax is collected at each stage of the supply chain, and registered businesses claim credits for the tax they paid on inputs. The name and rates differ, but the mechanism is identical. For cross-border pricing purposes, you can treat a 20% VAT the same as a 20% GST.
Sales tax (primarily the United States system) is different: it is a single-stage retail tax collected only at the final point of sale, not at each stage of the supply chain. There are no input credits. US sales tax is set by individual states and localities, so there is no single national rate — a transaction in one US city may attract a combined state, county, and city sales tax that differs from a transaction 10 miles away.
When to use this reference
- Quoting prices to international customers: know whether to quote prices inclusive or exclusive of local consumption tax, and at what rate.
- Cross-border invoicing: B2B exports are typically zero-rated for VAT/GST purposes (the buyer accounts for tax in their own country), but you need to know the local rules.
- Building or configuring a tax engine: mapping product categories to the correct standard rates is the starting point; reduced rates and exemptions are applied on top.
- Travel expense claims: understanding that a foreign receipt includes a certain percentage of recoverable VAT can affect reimbursement calculations.
Notes
This reference shows standard rates only. Most countries apply reduced rates, exemptions, and zero-rating to categories such as food, medicine, books, and exports. Some countries, including India, Canada (provincial), and the United States, have complex multi-level tax systems where the national rate shown here is only part of the picture. Always confirm the rate and category treatment against the official national tax authority before filing, contracting, or programming a tax calculation.