Skip to main content

How to set up tax settings in Shopify?

Shopify tax settings guide for merchants

Updated today

Our apps generate invoices based on the order data provided by the Shopify API. Once your tax settings are configured correctly in your Shopify store, our apps will automatically include all applicable tax details on your invoices—no additional configuration is required within the app.

  • OSS - if an order is OSS eligible, we automatically send this information to the invoicing software

  • Reverse charge - if an order is reverse charge eligible, we automatically send this information to the invoicing software

✅ Step 1: Check if you're a VAT Payer

This setting is important to ensure our apps run smoothly. Go to your invoicing account (iDoklad, SuperFaktúra, Fakturownia, FastBill, ...) and check your company profile:

  • Make sure "VAT payer" is enabled if you are registered for VAT

  • Enter your VAT ID or EU VAT Number (e.g., CZ12345678, PL1234567890).

  • Save the company settings there

⚙️ Step 2: Set Up Taxes in Shopify

  1. Go to Shopify Admin » Settings » Taxes and duties

  2. Add your regions - Add here all the shipping zones from which you receive orders and need to collect taxes

    • For EU countries, click “Collect VAT” and enter your EU VAT number.

    • Shopify may validate this automatically.

  3. Enable tax collection:

    • Shopify should now start calculating VAT at checkout automatically, based on your store location and your customer's shipping address.

  4. Set up tax behavior:

    • Decide whether product prices include tax or tax is added on top (Settings → Taxes and Duties → Edit under your region).

    • If you're selling to both B2B and B2C, it’s usually better to exclude tax from prices, so Shopify can show correct prices for different customer types.

🌍 Step 3: Enable VAT Exemptions (Optional)

If you're selling to VAT-registered businesses in other EU countries, you can skip VAT (reverse charge) for those customers.

To do this:

  1. Go to Shopify Admin » Customers

  2. For B2B customers, set their tax status as exempt:

    • Click the customer

    • Enable “This is a business customer”

    • Add their VAT number

    • Enable “Collect tax” only when applicable

📦 Step 4: Check Product Tax Settings (Optional)

  1. Go to Shopify Admin » Products

  2. Edit each product and scroll down to “Pricing”

  3. Make sure “Charge tax on this product” is checked (if VAT applies)

🔁 Step 5: Sync & Test

After everything is set:

  • Create a test order (you can use a real order or draft order).

  • Let the invoice generate through your app.

  • Open the invoice and check if the VAT is shown correctly.

If not, check:

  • VAT payer setting in your invoicing platform

  • VAT number in Shopify

  • Customer’s tax status

As a result: Shopify calculates the VAT as included in the total (for both the products and the delivery) » Check if you followed the settings correctly Shopify » Click on the order's number » Check the order details


🧠 Final Tips

  • Our apps rely 100% on Shopify’s tax settings – they do not calculate taxes on their own.

  • Always keep your tax info (VAT ID, registered country, customer tax status) up to date in both Shopify and your invoicing platform.

  • If your business grows internationally, consider enabling OSS (One-Stop Shop) or consulting your accountant for cross-border tax compliance.

  • Our apps will automatically recognize tax-exempt orders and you can create documents with 0% VAT

Need human help?

  • If you’re uncertain about your current tax setup, we recommend contacting Shopify Support for guidance, as they are best equipped to assist with tax configuration.

  • For more detailed information on setting up taxes in Shopify, click here

Charge tax on shipping rates in Shopify

To set the shipping rates as taxable:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to the SettingsTaxes and duties page.

  2. Check the Charge sales tax on shipping checkbox.

  3. Save your changes.

Include or exclude tax from product prices in Shopify

To include or exclude tax from product prices:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to the Settings → Taxes and duties page.

  2. Scroll down to the Global settings section.

  3. To exclude tax from your product prices, uncheck the Include sales tax in product price and shipping rate checkbox.

include-tax-product-prices-checked

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to the Settings → Markets page.

  2. In the top-right corner of the page, click Preferences.

  3. Turn the toggle next to Include or exclude tax based on your customer’s country on.

include-or-exclude-tax

Prices Exclude Tax

  • If prices are set without tax, a French customer pays €24 (€20 product + €4 tax), while a US customer pays only €20 with no tax.

  • This setup aligns with international VAT/GST rules, letting you charge tax to some customers (e.g. EU consumers) while exempting others (e.g. EU businesses, people with disabilities, indigenous groups).

  • Prices shown in your store are tax-free, ideal for B2B sales.

Prices Include Tax

  • If prices include tax, both French and US customers see the same price: €20.
    For France, that’s €16.67 + €3.33 tax. In the US, it's €20 with no tax deduction—so they overpay.

  • This setup ensures all customers see final prices, useful for B2C stores or when law requires tax-inclusive pricing.

  • However, it doesn't work well if you need to exempt certain buyers from tax.

Tax Based on Customer’s Country

  • With this option, Shopify adjusts tax automatically.

  • French customers pay €16.67 + €3.33 tax; US customers pay €16.67 with no tax.

  • This setup avoids charging tax where not needed and still supports VAT exemptions (e.g. for EU businesses or tax-exempt buyers), while displaying tax-inclusive prices when relevant.

Why are taxes missing on my Shopify orders and invoices?

If taxes are missing from your Shopify orders and the creted documents, it’s likely due to one of these three reasons:

1. Your store isn’t set to collect tax

Go to Settings → Taxes and duties and configure your tax registration by region.
If a region is missing, create a shipping zone under Settings → Shipping and delivery.

Tax collections settings in Shopify

2. Product isn’t marked as taxable

Go to Products → [Select product] → Pricing, and check “Charge tax on this product”.

shopify_charge_tax_checkbox

3. Customer is marked as tax-exempt

Go to Customers → [Select customer] → Tax settings, and make sure “Collect tax” is enabled.

Once these are set up, Sufio will automatically display the correct tax on your invoices based on Shopify’s settings.

shopify_manage_customer_taxes

Did this answer your question?