Net carbs are sometimes called "effective carbs" or "usable carbs," and will usually be the figure you're using for carb counts.

The safest way to figure net carbs is by deducting ONLY fiber from the total carbohydrates in any given food. It's fairly well documented that deducting anything else from the total carb count - such as sugar alcohols (maltitol, xylitol, glycerine, etc.) - can stall or halt weight loss. This means, do the math yourself. Read the nutritional information rather than whatever "net" or "effective" carbs might be listed on the front of the label.