Tax rates & VAT
Your tax rates are the VAT rates your store charges. You keep them as a list under Settings → Tax rates — usually a standard rate, and any reduced, zero-rated, or exempt rates you need. One rate is the default, and that’s what gets added at checkout to any item that doesn’t have its own rate.
Create a tax rate
Section titled “Create a tax rate”- Go to Settings → Tax rates and press New tax rate.
- Give it a Name (e.g. “Standard VAT”).
- Enter the Rate (%).
- Pick a VAT-return class (see below) and press Create.
VAT-return classes
Section titled “VAT-return classes”The class is how the rate is treated on your VAT return. Two of them ring 0% but mean different things, so they’re kept apart:
| Class | What it means |
|---|---|
| Standard | Your normal positive VAT rate. |
| Reduced | A lower positive rate for certain goods. |
| Zero-rated | A taxable supply charged at 0%. |
| Exempt | Outside VAT — also 0, but distinct from zero-rated on the return. |
Choose the default rate
Section titled “Choose the default rate”On the rate you charge most, press Make default. The default is what applies to any item without its own rate, and it’s marked Default in the list. Use Clear default to remove it.
Give an item its own rate
Section titled “Give an item its own rate”Most items can just use the default. When one is different, open the item (Catalog → Items) and pick a tax rate in its Tax setting — or leave it on (Business default) to follow the default rate.
Archive a rate you no longer charge
Section titled “Archive a rate you no longer charge”To retire a rate, press Archive. It stops being chargeable on new sales, but past sales and any items still on it keep their rate, and you can Restore it later. You can’t archive the default rate — make another rate the default first, then archive it.
Archived rates show greyed-out at the bottom of the list, kept for reference on your older sales.