Calculate the Sales Tax in France (VAT) for 2023
The sales tax on goods and services in France is known as the value added tax (VAT) (or TVA in french, for "taxe sur la valeur ajoutée"). This tax is actually applied on every stage of a product commercialization, from the purchase of the raw materials to the final sale to the consumer. This is different from the American sales tax, which is only imposed once, on the final retail sale.
For the consumer, there is no difference when it's time to pay, because the tax rate will be applied on the total amount. However, the intermediates that brought the product to the consumer will only pay to the government the difference between the taxes applied on the purchase of the product and its sale, which explains the term value added tax.
There are four types of value added taxes in France: reduced, special, intermediate and normal rates. Each rate is applied on a category of goods and services.
- The reduced rate is applied on most food products, energy needs and goods and services for disabled people.
- The special rate includes medications reimbursed by social security, some theatrical representations and the press.
- The intermediate rate for its part regroups non modified agricultural products, agriculture use products, farmers breeding supplies and non alcoholic drinks. In that same category, you also have books, art pieces, collection objects and antiquities, as well as repairs and renovations on your property, wood for heating and medications not reimbursed by social security.
- Finally, the normal rate is applied on anything unspecified.
Here's a calculator for the VAT in France that will indicate the amount of payable taxes, based on the selling price and the type of rate.
If you click on the other tab, you can also reverse the calculation, by inserting the total amount in order to get the price excluding taxes.
Please change the suggested values with your own amounts in the blue text boxes.
