VAT calculator for restaurant menu prices
Add VAT to a net price or take it out of a menu price, with the GCC rates as of 25 September 2026. Each rate links to the authority that publishes it. The inputs stay in the link.
Calculator
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<a href="https://akli.io/tools/vat-menu-price-calculator">GCC VAT calculator for menu prices | AKLI</a>- Add VAT
- Price incl. VAT = price excl. VAT × (1 + rate). VAT amount = price excl. VAT × rate.
- Remove VAT
- Price excl. VAT = price incl. VAT ÷ (1 + rate). VAT amount = price incl. VAT − price excl. VAT.
- Worked example
- SAR 57.50 on a Saudi menu (15%): 57.50 ÷ 1.15 = SAR 50.00 excluding VAT; the VAT is SAR 7.50. Subtracting 15% of 57.50 would give 48.88, which is wrong.
Rates as of 25 September 2026
| Country | Standard rate | In force since | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 15%VAT was introduced on 1 January 2018 at 5% and raised to 15% from 1 July 2020. | 1 July 2020 | Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) |
| United Arab Emirates | 5%Standard rate of 5% since VAT was introduced on 1 January 2018. | 1 January 2018 | Federal Tax Authority (FTA) |
| Bahrain | 10%VAT was introduced on 1 January 2019 at 5% and raised to 10% from 1 January 2022. The NBR lists restaurants and cafés at the standard rate. | 1 January 2022 | National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) |
| Oman | 5%Standard rate of 5% under Royal Decree 121/2020. | 16 April 2021 | Oman Tax Authority |
| Qatar | No VAT in forceNo VAT in force. The GTA lists income, withholding, capital gains, excise, and global minimum tax only. | n/a | General Tax Authority (GTA) |
| Kuwait | No VAT in forceNo VAT in force and no implementation date published. | n/a | Ministry of Finance |
Rates as of 25 September 2026, checked on each authority’s site. Restaurant and café meals are not among the zero-rated or exempt supplies these authorities list; some basic foodstuffs sold as groceries are zero-rated and are outside this table.
Why the direction matters
Food cost and margin are computed on the price excluding VAT, because VAT is collected for the state and never belongs to the kitchen. A menu that prints prices including VAT therefore needs the net price backed out before any percentage is calculated. The common mistake is to subtract the rate from the gross price; the correct step is to divide by one plus the rate. At 15% the difference on a SAR 57.50 dish is SAR 1.13 per plate, every plate.
To go from a recipe cost to a price with VAT and rounding in one step, use the menu price calculator. The rate table is the same one shown on the statistics page, and both are updated together.
Calculator FAQ
How do I remove VAT from a price that includes it?
Divide the price including VAT by one plus the rate. At 15%, a menu price of 57.50 including VAT is 57.50 ÷ 1.15 = 50.00 excluding VAT, and the VAT is 7.50. Do not subtract 15% of the gross price; that overstates the VAT.
Which GCC countries charge VAT on restaurant meals?
As of 25 September 2026: Saudi Arabia at 15%, Bahrain at 10%, the UAE at 5%, and Oman at 5%. Qatar and Kuwait have no VAT in force. Each rate on this page links to the tax authority that publishes it.
Is food cost percentage calculated on the price with or without VAT?
Without. VAT is collected for the state, not earned by the kitchen, so food cost and margin are computed on the price excluding VAT. The menu price calculator does this for you.
What if a rate changes?
The table shows the date the rates were last checked. If an authority changes a rate, the calculator is updated and the date moves. Until then, the authority's own page linked in the table is the reference.
Facts you can quote
Price, pricing unit, product languages, and HACCP jurisdictions. Figures below are as of 22 September 2026.
- Price
- SAR 299 / QAR 290 / AED 293 / BHD 30 / OMR 31 per branch per month, excluding VAT. Details
- Pricing unit
- Priced per branch, not per user. Unlimited team members are included. Details
- Product languages
- The product interface supports English, French, and Arabic. You choose the language in the product. This marketing site is available in English, French, and Arabic. Details
- HACCP jurisdictions
- Digital HACCP logs are timestamped and built to be exported for inspections under Qatar Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), UAE Food Safety Department, and Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) requirements. The logs do not, by themselves, make a kitchen compliant. Details
- As of
- 22 September 2026
Margins on the net price, per dish
AKLI prices recipes excluding VAT and shows the margin the kitchen actually keeps. Book a demo.