How to Calculate Reverse Percentage in Google Sheets

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This tutorial answers how to calculate reverse percentages in Google Sheets.

Below, you will get three formulas to calculate the reverse percentage in Google Sheets, and do you know why there are three formulas?

It’s because the formulas vary depending on your requirement though all of their purposes is to work backward to find the original number.

For example, the price of an item is $100.00, and the vendor was offering a 15% discount on it last month. Now there is no discount instead the price is increased by 15%.

So, we have three prices.

  1. 15% of the Price = $15.00 (basic). Here the final price is $15.00 and the % of the original price is 15%.
  2. Discounted Price, i.e., $100.00-$15.00 = $85.00 (price decrease). Here the final price is $85.00 and the % decrease of the original price is 15%.
  3. Increased Price, i.e., $100.00+$15.00 = $115.00 (price increase). Here the final price is $115.00 and the % increase of the original price is 15%.

If you have any of the prices, i.e., $15.00, $85.00, or $115.00, you can use a suitable reverse percentage formula to get the original price in Google Sheets.

Here is a real-life example.

Formulas to Calculate Reverse Percentage in Google Sheets

1. Basic Formula – Inputs are Final Number and Percentage that Made It

You only remember that you had got $195.00 as a 15% discount at the time for purchasing a sofa set for our living room last year. You forgot the purchase (original) price.

Since you remember the discounted amount (final price) and the % of the original price, you can use the below reverse percentage formula to get the original price in Google Sheets.

Generic Formula:- Final_Number / Percentage = Original Number

In a cell, enter the below formula.

=195/15%

You will get 1300.00. That is the original price of the sofa set.

Can we use two cell references that point to the discount received and discount percentage?

Yep!

A1 = 195

B1 = 15%

C1= =A1/B1

2. Reverse Percentage When You Have Final Number and Percentage Decrease

Sometimes we delete/remove a certain percentage from a value and later want to get back that original value. In that scenario, we can use the below method.

Assume you have bought a sofa at the cost of $1105.00. It is a 15% discounted price. How to find the original price?

Generic Formula:- Final_Number / (1-Percentage) = Original Number

In a cell, enter the below formula.

=1105/(1-15%)

The output will be 1300.00, that is the original price of the sofa set without discount.

How to use cell references in the above reverse percentage formula in Google Sheets?

=E2/(1-E3)
Reverse Percentage Decrease Formula in Google Sheets

3. Reverse Percentage When You Have Final Number and % Increase

You were planning to buy your dream car for a long and had read news about car companies mulling price hikes from the new year. But you didn’t act upon it.

The price is already hiked up by 3%, and the current price of the model you dreamt of buying is $29,315.00.

How to find the price of the car just before the hike?

Here we can follow the below reverse percentage formula in Google Sheets to get the price of the car before the hike.

Generic Formula:- Final_Number / (1+Percentage) = Original Number

=29315/(1+3%)

Formula When Inputs are Cell References:

=E2/(1+E3)
Reverse Percentage Increase Formula in Google Sheets

That’s all. Thanks for the stay. Enjoy!

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Prashanth KV
Prashanth KV
Your Trusted Google Sheets and Excel Guide Prashanth KV brings a wealth of experience in Google Sheets and Excel, cultivated through years of work with multinational corporations in Mumbai and Dubai. As a recognized Google Product Expert in Docs Editors, Prashanth shares his expertise through insightful blogging since 2012. Explore his blog for practical tips and guidance on maximizing your spreadsheet skills.

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