Use the Botswana VAT calculator to add VAT to a tax-exclusive price or separate VAT from a tax-inclusive total. Enter the amount in pula, choose what it already includes and select the rate that applies. The result shows the price before VAT, the VAT amount and the total including VAT.
Section 7 of Botswana’s Value Added Tax Act 2026 sets the 14% rate for other taxable supplies under that section and 0% for zero-rated taxable supplies. Confirm how your particular sale, service or import is treated before selecting a rate. The tool calculates a price split and does not decide whether a business should register or whether it can claim input VAT. BURS 2026 tax laws.
Botswana VAT calculator
Add VAT to a price or separate it from a VAT-inclusive amount. Select the rate that applies to the supply. A zero-rated supply and an exempt supply have different treatment.
How to add VAT to a price
Choose the option for an amount excluding VAT. On a standard-rated P500 price, 14% of P500 is P70. Add P70 to get a VAT-inclusive total of P570. The same calculation works for a quote with several standard-rated items if the amounts you enter all share the same treatment.
If you are preparing a quote, show what the price includes before a customer accepts it. If delivery or a discount affects the amount, confirm the treatment for the invoice and use the correct taxable value. A quote with mixed taxable and other items can need separate lines.
How to extract VAT from a price
Choose the option for an amount including VAT. Divide the total by 1.14 for a standard-rated price. The difference between the original total and that net price is the VAT. For example, P1,140 including VAT consists of P1,000 before VAT and P140 of VAT.
A common error is to multiply a VAT-inclusive total by 14%. On P1,140 that gives P159.60, because it applies the percentage to a price that already contains tax. Dividing first gives the correct split under the stated assumption.
| Entered price | Treatment | Before VAT | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P100.00 | Excludes standard VAT | P100.00 | P14.00 | P114.00 |
| P570.00 | Includes standard VAT | P500.00 | P70.00 | P570.00 |
| P1,140.00 | Includes standard VAT | P1,000.00 | P140.00 | P1,140.00 |
| P500.00 | Zero-rated example | P500.00 | P0.00 | P500.00 |
Standard, zero-rated and exempt transactions
The result depends on the category of the supply. Zero-rated supplies are taxed at zero under the applicable rules. An exempt supply is treated differently and should not be labelled zero-rated simply because the displayed tax would be zero. Read the applicable schedules and current BURS guidance if the classification is unclear. The calculator’s zero-rate option illustrates the arithmetic after you establish that treatment.
If a business is not registered for VAT, check its obligations before adding a VAT line to a quote. A price increase to cover costs is a different matter from charging VAT as a registered supplier. Check the current registration and invoicing requirements directly with BURS for your business and turnover.
Reconcile a receipt or quote
Read the receipt line by line. Check whether each price already includes VAT and whether the receipt combines items with different treatment. Compare the seller’s VAT and total with the same basis in the calculator. If the total differs by a thebe or two, ask whether the invoice rounds each line or the combined taxable total. This tool rounds a single entered amount to two decimal places and keeps the split equal to the displayed gross total.
For example, two standard-rated items of P1.03 each generate about P0.1442 VAT per item. Rounding each to P0.14 gives P0.28 in total. Applying 14% once to P2.06 gives about P0.2884, which rounds to P0.29. This shows why the method can matter even when the rate is the same. Follow your invoicing system and applicable BURS guidance for recordkeeping.
Keep VAT separate from cash-flow decisions
A business can use the calculator to check a quote amount and then compare it with the actual invoice and settlement. Store the supplier’s tax invoice and check eligibility with the applicable rules before treating VAT as an input credit. The cash leaving your account is the payment amount. The VAT treatment belongs in the appropriate records.
If you need to work out how much to set aside for registration, professional fees and licences, use the CIPA business setup cost calculator. For employment tax, use the Botswana PAYE calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove 14% VAT from an inclusive price?
Divide the inclusive price by 1.14 to find the amount before VAT. Subtract that amount from the price to find the VAT portion.
What if my quote has both standard-rated and zero-rated items?
Group or calculate them separately using the correct rate for each group. Check the invoice’s rounding and classification.
Is a zero-rated item the same as an exempt item?
Their visible tax amount may both be zero, but their treatment under the Act can differ. Confirm the category from the current rules.
Does this tell me how much VAT to pay to BURS?
The tool calculates a single price split. A return depends on your actual transactions and applicable input and output VAT rules.
Does the tool save what I enter?
The calculation happens in your browser. Save any figures you need to keep in your own quote or records.
Check the rate before using the result
Confirm the supply’s treatment and use the applicable invoice basis. Find more tools in the Botswana calculators index.
