How to use the Original price calculator
Enter sale price, and discount (%). Choose the currency for your inputs and read the result as you change the values.
How it works and formula
Original price = sale price ÷ (1 − discount rate).
Worked example
| Sale price | 72 |
|---|---|
| Discount (%) | 20 |
Result
Original price $90.00
Choosing your inputs
Enter the discounted price and the percentage advertised for that same item. Compare amounts on the same tax basis. Use the effective discount when several percentage discounts were applied in sequence.
How to interpret the result
A $72 sale price after 20% off represents 80% of the original price. Divide $72 by 0.80 to get $90. Adding 20% to $72 gives $86.40 because it uses the lower price as its base.
Frequently asked questions
Why must the discount be below 100%?
A fully discounted price reveals nothing about the starting price. Use a sale price before tax.
Why does the calculator require a discount below 100%?
A 100% discount produces a zero sale price for any original price, so the original cannot be recovered from that information alone.