Formula
What this calculator does
Given an amount and a percentage, it shows you four common results at once: the pure percentage value (X% of Y), the amount with the percentage added (Y + X%), the amount with it subtracted (Y − X%), and the reverse calculation (if Y already includes X%, what's the base?). Most real-world percentage-on-money questions are one of these four - you don't have to think about which formula to use, just read the right row.
VAT in Saudi Arabia - 15%
Value Added Tax (VAT) was introduced in Saudi Arabia in January 2018 at 5%, then raised to 15% in July 2020. The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) administers it. Almost all goods and services include VAT in their displayed price - but invoices, receipts, and quotes for business-to-business transactions usually break it out. Use the 'Add percentage' result for a pre-VAT price, the 'Reverse' result for a tax-inclusive price you want to break down.
Zakat - 2.5% on eligible savings
Zakat is an Islamic obligation: 2.5% of qualifying wealth (cash savings, gold, silver, business inventory, investments) held above a minimum threshold (the niṣāb) for a full lunar year. The Saudi government, through ZATCA, administers corporate Zakat collection; individual Zakat is paid voluntarily through Saudi charities or directly to the eligible recipients defined in the Quran. Use the 'X% of amount' result with 2.5% to see your Zakat obligation on a savings amount.
Discounts, commissions, and markups
Discounts subtract a percentage from a price (the 'Subtract' result). Commissions and markups add a percentage to a base price (the 'Add' result). When a sale price is shown and you want to know the original - for example, a 'now 240 SAR, was 300 SAR' price showing a discount - use the 'Reverse' result with a negative-looking discount, or simply: original = 240 / (1 − 0.20) = 300 SAR for a 20% discount.
Common use cases in Saudi life
Checking a restaurant bill for VAT: if you paid 230 SAR and want to know the base food cost, reverse-calculate at 15% → 200 SAR base + 30 SAR VAT. Calculating Zakat on a savings account: 2.5% of the balance. Verifying a discount: a 'Buy 1 get 1 50% off' is effectively 25% off the pair. Estimating commission on a real-estate or freelance contract: 5% of the deal value. Calculating sales tax on imported online purchases.
Tips for using this calculator effectively
Use the quick-preset chips for the rates you use most often - they're one click instead of typing. The displayed amount can be in any currency (we label it SAR for the Saudi audience but the math is currency-agnostic). For accuracy beyond 2 decimal places (e.g. exact tax filings), use the underlying values - the displayed numbers are rounded. For very large amounts or very small percentages, watch out for rounding artifacts in the displayed result.
Frequently asked questions
VAT in Saudi Arabia is 15% of the pre-tax price. To add it: multiply by 1.15 (200 × 1.15 = 230). To extract it from a price that already includes VAT: divide by 1.15 (230 ÷ 1.15 = 200 base + 30 VAT). This calculator's 'Reverse' result gives you the base amount when the input already includes the percentage.
If you've held a sum of cash above the niṣāb (about the value of 85 g of gold) for a full lunar year, Zakat is 2.5% of the balance. So Zakat on 100,000 SAR savings is 2,500 SAR. Use this calculator with the Zakat preset (2.5%) and your savings balance as the amount.
The discount amount is the value of the percentage (the hero result: 15% of 200 = 30 SAR off). The price after discount is the amount minus that value (the 'Subtract' result: 200 − 30 = 170 SAR). The original price before discount (the 'Reverse' result with a different sign) gives you 200 SAR from a final 170 SAR + 15% discount.
Because real-world money-and-percentage questions come in four common shapes - 'what's X% of Y', 'add X% to Y', 'subtract X% from Y', and 'what was the base before X% was added'. Showing all four at once means you don't have to think about which formula to apply - just read the row that matches your question.
Yes - the math is currency-agnostic. We label it 'SAR' for the Saudi audience, but treat the number as whatever currency you're working with: USD, EUR, AED, EGP, whatever. The percentage operations work identically.
Sources
- VAT rate and rules in Saudi Arabia— Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
- Zakat - rules and rates— Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
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