Distinguish the VAT basis of entered prices, storefront presentation and VAT actually calculated on an order.
This guide is for Go, Plus and Pro administrators. VAT by delivery country requires Plus or Pro. Examples assume a seller of goods established in Sweden; services, digital products, particular goods, overseas stock and other arrangements can follow different rules. Establish the correct treatment before changing settings.
1. Establish the tax treatment
Sales within Sweden: apply the appropriate Swedish rate where the sale is taxable.
Goods to consumers in other EU countries: Swedish VAT does not always apply. Distance-selling rules and any OSS registration can require destination-country VAT. Assess turnover, earlier periods and business circumstances before choosing country rates.
Goods to businesses in other EU countries: entering a VAT number alone is insufficient for a sale without Swedish VAT. Check, among other conditions, a valid VAT number and actual transport to another EU country with the required evidence and reporting.
Exports outside the EU: VAT-free export requires the export conditions to be met and evidenced. A foreign customer name or billing country alone does not prove goods left the EU. Destination import requirements are separate.
Abicart customer types and country settings are technical controls rather than an independent determination of tax liability. Do not set a country to Domestic merely to obtain a neater final price.
2. Enter basic settings
Open Settings → VAT. Check the shop's VAT country, default product rate and VAT for shipping, cash on delivery and payment fees. Choose rates according to actual sales; 25 percent is not universal for every product.
A product can have its own explicit VAT rate and a shipping tariff can have a specific rate. Check these overrides when a global change has unexpected results. Do not assume a new default overwrites every earlier exception.
3. Choose the VAT basis of entered prices
Under Price management you select whether prices entered in admin include or exclude VAT. Ensure imports, price lists and connected systems use the correct basis. An external system may require exclusive prices, but establish this for the particular integration.
Changing this setting can start recalculation of existing prices; it is not merely a presentation change. Preserve a price record and plan the change first. Do not switch back and forth to troubleshoot decimals in a sub-shop.
4. Choose price presentation
Price presentation controls whether visitors normally see prices including or excluding VAT. It is separate from entry basis and whether a particular order is taxable. Also check customer group, delivery country, currency and any visitor display toggle.
If a rounded price gains unexpected decimals, compare the same product and variant in the same currency and VAT basis. A price including one rate changes when VAT is removed or another rate applies. Check the country's tax treatment and currency conversion before editing the price or rounding the entire assortment.
5. Configure VAT by delivery country
Open the VAT by country section or tab and add the relevant delivery country.
Enter correct rates for products and fees and check product-specific country overrides.
Select the correct tax treatment. Export applies where delivery originates in the shop's VAT country under export rules. Domestic is for the intended arrangement where delivery originates in the customer's country. The choice must match actual sales.
Save after checking rates and scope. Review settings for each relevant shop in a multishop system.
Check representative business and consumer cases, domestic and foreign addresses, regular and special prices and shipping.
The function does not automatically configure every country's current rates and is not OSS registration or a submitted return. It works with inclusive and exclusive entered prices, but an incorrect basis gives incorrect values.
6. Follow up orders and reporting
Check actual order VAT and totals rather than only a checkout label. If an external checkout says “including VAT” while the order is correctly untaxed, document the order, country and screenshot and contact support. Do not charge incorrect tax to match the label.
Under Orders , filter a period and use the summary or export as supporting data. VAT reporting needs reconciliation of delivery country, currency, rate, taxable value and refunds. A general country filter can include both buyer and delivery country. An ordinary order export is not automatically a complete OSS return; reconcile it with accounts and the correct reporting period.
Quick start
Establish the applicable rules for seller, goods, customer and delivery.
Check the VAT country, product rates and fees.
Separate entry basis from display and avoid unplanned recalculation.
Check actual order values and reporting evidence for relevant countries.
Subscription and responsibility
Basic VAT settings are available in Go, Plus and Pro. VAT by delivery country is available in Plus and Pro. Shop settings do not replace assessment of applicable rules or registration and reporting to the tax authority.
