How to remove VAT from a price (El Salvador)
Learn how to remove the 13% VAT from a tax-inclusive price: divide by 1.13 to get the base and subtract to find the VAT, with exact worked examples.
Last updated: 2026-07-22
Do it automatically
When a price already includes El Salvador's 13% VAT, removing it is NOT subtracting 13% from the total. The tax is calculated on the price without VAT (the taxable base), not on the final price. That is why the correct operation is dividing the VAT-inclusive price by 1.13.
This guide shows the formula, the exact steps, and why the shortcut of subtracting 13% is always wrong. At the end you will find the VAT calculator to do it automatically.
Step by step
- Start from the VAT-inclusive price
Take the final price, the one that already has the tax inside (the one you pay or charge). For example, $113.
- Divide by 1.13 to get the base
The final price equals 113% of the base (100% of the price plus 13% VAT). Dividing by 1.13 reverses that sum: base = price_with_VAT ÷ 1.13. With $113: 113 ÷ 1.13 = $100.00.
- Subtract the base from the total to get the VAT
The VAT is the exact difference between the tax-inclusive price and the base: VAT = price_with_VAT − base. With $113: 113 − 100 = $13.00. That way base + VAT always reproduces the total to the cent.
Worked examples
A round price of $113 with VAT included.
- Base = $113 ÷ 1.13 = $100.00.
- VAT = $113 − $100.00 = $13.00.
Base $100.00, VAT $13.00, total $113.00.
A non-round price of $250 with VAT included.
- Base = $250 ÷ 1.13 = $221.24 (rounded to the cent).
- VAT = $250 − $221.24 = $28.76.
Base $221.24, VAT $28.76, total $250.00.
The most common mistake
The most common mistake is subtracting 13% of the VAT-inclusive price: $113 × 0.87 = $98.31, which is NOT the correct base of $100. Subtracting 13% of the total removes too much, because the 13% applies to the base ($100), not to the total ($113).
Put another way: the VAT included in a final price equals 11.5044% of that final price, not 13%. That is why $28.76 is not 13% of $250. The only operation that is always correct is dividing by 1.13.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the price without VAT?
Divide the VAT-inclusive price by 1.13. The result is the price without VAT (the taxable base). For example, $250 ÷ 1.13 = $221.24 without VAT.
How do I calculate the taxable base of a VAT-inclusive price?
The taxable base is the price without the tax. To get it from a VAT-inclusive price, divide by 1.13: base = price_with_VAT ÷ 1.13. The VAT is then the difference between the total and that base.
Why is subtracting 13% of the total not the same?
Because the 13% VAT is calculated on the price without tax, not on the final price. A VAT-inclusive price is 113% of the base; subtracting 13% of the total removes more than it should. On $113, subtracting 13% would give $98.31, not the correct $100.
What percentage of the final price is the included VAT?
The included VAT equals 11.5044% of the VAT-inclusive price (13 ÷ 113). It is not 13% of the total. That is why it is always better to divide by 1.13 than to apply a percentage to the total.