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$?

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TAX RATE

PARAMETERS

Input data
$
$
pcs.
$
Advanced Mode Regions, discounts, break-even, Boxleiter
Regional pricing
Typical sales share templates by country.You can change the percentages manually in the table below.
Region Price VAT Effective Net % sales
Σ = 100%
Weighted average price $14.99
Weighted average VAT 15.0%
Effective Net / Copy $6.20
Accounting for discounts
%
0% = all sales at full price · Typical range: 10–25%
Weighted average discount: 0% Effective Price: $14.99
I want to calculate ROI and additionalexpenses Development cost, marketing, publisher share, engine royalty, banking fees
Calculations and taxes
Gross Revenue
$1,200
%
−$120
Typical Steam refund rate: 5–15%
%
Percentage of total sales from US buyers
%
−$160
VAT collected by Steam on non-US sales
%
−$252
According to official documentation: 30% default · 25% after $10M · 20% after $50M
%
−$0
30% for RF (W-8BEN suspended) · up to 30% without treaty
%
−$31.68
Your country's income/profit tax rate
Game name
Result
Your Net Revenue
$496.40
That's 41.4% of gross · 80 copies at $14.99
Effective rate: You keep $0.41 per $1.00
You lost: −$703.60 (58.6%)
You Need to Sell
6,671
copies at $14.99 each
Required Gross Revenue: $100,019.29
You lost: −$703.60 (58.6%)
By country

Mathematical Model of Steam Revenue Calculation

The total net profit $\Pi$ is computed as the aggregated developer revenue across all regions $r \in R$, adjusted for local taxation and subsequent overhead costs:

$$ \Pi = \left( \sum_{r \in R} \pi_r \right) \cdot (1 - \tau_{local}) - C_{pub} - C_{engine} - C_{bank} - C_{dev} - C_{mkt} $$

For any given region $r$, the sequential deduction of refunds, value-added taxes (VAT), platform commissions, and United States withholding taxes yields the regional developer revenue $\pi_r$:

$$ \begin{align} G_r &= N \cdot P_{base} \cdot (1 - \overline{D}) \cdot M_r \cdot S_r \\ R_r &= G_r \cdot \rho_{refund} \\ V_r &= (G_r - R_r) \cdot \nu_r \\ C_r &= (G_r - R_r - V_r) \cdot \sigma_{steam} \\ T_r &= \begin{cases} (G_r - R_r) \cdot \tau_{us} & \text{if } r = \text{US} \\ 0 & \text{otherwise} \end{cases} \\ \pi_r &= G_r - R_r - V_r - C_r - T_r \end{align} $$

Nomenclature:

$\Pi$ : Total Net Profit
$\pi_r$ : Developer Revenue (Region $r$)
$G_r$ : Gross Revenue (Region $r$)
$R_r$ : Refunds (Region $r$)
$V_r$ : Value-Added Tax (Region $r$)
$C_r$ : Steam Commission (Region $r$)
$T_r$ : US Withholding Tax (Region $r$)
$N$ : Total copies sold
$P_{base}$ : Base price (USD)
$\overline{D}$ : Weighted average discount
$M_r$ : Regional price multiplier
$S_r$ : Sales share volume
$\rho_{refund}$ : Global refund rate
$\nu_r$ : Regional VAT rate
$\sigma_{steam}$ : Steam commission rate
$\tau_{us}$ : US withholding tax rate
$\tau_{local}$ : Local income tax rate
$C_{pub}, C_{engine}, C_{bank}$ : Revenue shares & fees
$C_{dev}, C_{mkt}$ : Fixed development & marketing costs

Calculator Glossary

What's happened Gross Revenue in Steam? This

All sales proceeds before fees, taxes and rebates. — what S showsteamworks How «Gross Revenue».

What's happened Net Revenue in Steam? This

The amount that actually ends up in the developer’s account after all deductions — commission Steam, taxes and returns.

What's happened Refunds & Chargebacks in Steam? This

Player refunds and disputed payments.On Steam usually 5–15% on sales depending on the genre and quality of release.

What's happened US Sales Share in Steam? This

Share of sales from US buyers — it determines what portion of the proceeds is subject to American taxation.

What's happened VAT (VAT) in Steam? This

Value added tax, which Steam he deducts and transfers to the budget for sales outside the USA.

What's happened Steam Commission in Steam? This

Platform commission: 30% default, reduced to 25% after $10M and up to 20% after $50M gross game revenue.

What's happened US Tax Withholding in Steam? This

A tax that the United States withholds on the earnings of a foreign developer.For the Russian Federation now it’s always 30% (W shape-8BEN not applicable).

What's happened Local Income Tax in Steam? This

Income/profit tax in the developer’s country — the rate depends on the jurisdiction and form of business registration.

What's happened Effective Rate in Steam? This

How much is actually left from each dollar of revenue after all deductions? — main sales performance indicator.

What's happened Target Net Revenue in Steam? This

Target net profit.The amount you want to earn «clean» after deducting all fees, taxes and expenses.

What's happened Copies Sold in Steam? This

The number of copies of the game sold required to achieve your goal or received after the fact.

What's happened Price Per Copy in Steam? This

Base price of one copy of the game in dollars (USD) before regional prices and discounts apply.

What's happened Regional Pricing in Steam? This

Regional prices — the practice of setting different prices for different regions, adapted to purchasing power.

What's happened Effective Price in Steam? This

Actual average price of a copy sold, taking into account regional prices and applicable discounts.

What's happened Average Discount in Steam? This

Average discount for all sales.Games are rarely sold at full price only, this parameter takes into account the impact of sales.

What's happened Break-Even in Steam? This

Break even.Number of copies or gross revenue at which revenues fully cover all development and marketing costs.

What's happened ROI in Steam? This

Return on investment.Shows return on investment: percentage of net profit to total costs.

What's happened Development Cost in Steam? This

Game development budget — the sum of all expenses for creating a product before its release (salaries, assets, outsourcing).

What's happened Marketing Budget in Steam? This

Marketing budget — funds allocated for game promotion: advertising, work with influencers, PR and exhibitions.

What's happened Publisher Share in Steam? This

Publisher's share.Percentage of revenue (usually from net revenue), which the publisher takes under a contract for its services and investments.

What's happened Engine Royalty in Steam? This

Royalties to the creators of the game engine (for example, 5% for Unreal Engine after crossing the threshold in $1 million in revenue).

What's happened Banking Fees in Steam? This

Bank commissions — losses at SWIFT/SEPA transfers, currency conversions and correspondent bank commissions.

What's happened Boxleiter Ratio in Steam? This

Boxleiter coefficient — a method of roughly estimating game sales by multiplying the number of reviews by a certain factor (usually from 30 to 50).

Sources for calculations

FAQ

Questions about calculations, taxes and how we can help increase the final figure.
On average, a developer receives about 50-60% from Gross Revenue. In addition to the basic commission Steam (30%), returns are deducted from revenue (5-15%), VAT for non-US sales, US tax and your local taxes.The calculator shows this entire chain, not just the platform commission.
Presets — These are typical rates by country, but any field (VAT, tax, rate) can be changed manually to suit your situation — the calculation will be recalculated instantly.
Commission Steam and you pay taxes anyway — that doesn't change.But the publisher helps sell more copies through marketing, featuring and choosing the right release date, increasing the total amount, not the percentage.
Calculation algorithms are fully relevant for 2026. This is an estimate based on average rates.The exact amount depends on regional prices, exchange rates, specific tax treaties and the share of sales by country — See documentation for detailsteamworks.
We work based on a share of future revenue, fixed in the contract before the start — no separate payment up front.We can finance the marketing and development of the game for future income.
Submit your calculation and game information via the form below or to Telegram — We will analyze your case and suggest how to increase the total amount.
No, if the player issues a refund (Refund), Steam refunds him in full, and this amount is deducted from your gross receipts.In this case, the base commission Steam from this copy is also canceled.
USA holds up to 30% from sales to American customers.For developers from the Russian Federation, 30 is now always withheld% (tax treaties suspended, Form W-8BEN doesn't work).
No.If you are generating keys in Steamworks and sell them on third-party sites, Steam does not charge its standard commission of 30 for this%. You get 100% from the price for which the key was sold.
Steam transfers funds once a month.Payment occurs before the 30th day of the month following the month of sales (for example, money for March will arrive before April 30).Minimum threshold — $100.
VAT or sales tax is already included in the final price of the game or added on top of it (varies by region).Steam collects and pays these taxes to the budgets of the relevant countries.
Commission 30% required for sales within the store Steam. You can reduce it only by reaching the revenue threshold ($10 million and $50 million), or by selling keys Steam through external sites.

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