How to Calculate Tax in BigCommerce

7 minute read

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As a business owner, calculating and managing taxes for your online store can be a daunting task. However, with the right tools and knowledge, it can be a breeze. BigCommerce offers robust tax settings that allow you to easily manage and configure taxes for your products. In this article, we will delve deeper into how to calculate tax in BigCommerce and optimize your tax settings to ensure a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

Understanding BigCommerce Tax Settings

Before you can manage taxes in BigCommerce, it's essential to understand the tax settings. The platform provides a set of default tax settings that allow you to configure the basics of your tax structure. These settings include the ability to configure tax classes, tax zones, and tax rates. Additionally, BigCommerce's tax settings allow you to integrate with third-party tax calculation tools, which can potentially save you time and simplify the tax calculation process.

One of the most critical aspects of running an online store is managing taxes. Taxes can be complicated, and it's essential to ensure that you are collecting the correct amount of tax from your customers. Failure to do so can result in legal issues and financial penalties. Therefore, it's crucial to understand the BigCommerce tax settings and how to configure them correctly.

What are BigCommerce Tax Settings?

BigCommerce tax settings are a built-in feature that allows you to configure taxes for your online store. These settings include tax classes, tax zones, and tax rates. Tax classes define the various types of taxes you are required to collect, such as sales tax or VAT. Tax zones define the geographic location where taxes should be applied, such as state, country, or region. Finally, tax rates establish the tax percentage for each tax class, which varies based on the relevant tax zone.

Configuring tax settings in BigCommerce is relatively straightforward. You can access the tax settings from your BigCommerce dashboard, where you can create new tax classes, define tax zones, and assign tax rates to each tax class. It's essential to ensure that all tax-related information is accurate to avoid potential legal issues in the future.

It's worth noting that tax laws vary from state to state and country to country. Therefore, it's crucial to research the relevant tax laws for your business location and ensure that your BigCommerce tax settings comply with those laws.

How to Configure BigCommerce Tax Settings

To get started with tax configuration, navigate to the Tax section of your BigCommerce dashboard. From there, you can access tax classes, tax zones, and tax rates. You can create new tax classes by clicking the "Add Tax Class" button and entering the relevant information. Similarly, you can define tax zones by clicking the "Add Tax Zone" button and entering the appropriate geographic location.

Once you have created your tax classes and tax zones, you can assign tax rates to each tax class. To do this, click the "Add Tax Rate" button and select the relevant tax class and tax zone. You can then enter the tax percentage for that tax class and zone combination.

It's important to note that BigCommerce also allows you to integrate with third-party tax calculation tools. These tools can potentially save you time and simplify the tax calculation process. To integrate with a third-party tax calculation tool, navigate to the "Tax Providers" section of your BigCommerce dashboard and select the relevant provider.

In conclusion, managing taxes is a crucial aspect of running an online store. BigCommerce provides a range of tax settings that allow you to configure taxes for your store. By understanding and correctly configuring these settings, you can ensure that you are collecting the correct amount of tax from your customers and avoid potential legal issues in the future.

Setting Up Tax Classes and Zones

Once you have a basic understanding of the BigCommerce tax settings, the next step is to set up tax classes and zones to ensure you're collecting taxes accurately. This process includes creating tax classes, assigning them to products, and defining tax zones based on geographic locations.

Creating Tax Classes

The first step in setting up tax classes is creating specific tax classes based on the various taxes you are required to collect. For instance, you may need to collect sales tax and VAT. Creating specific tax classes allows you to assign the appropriate tax rate based on each product's location, ensuring that the correct taxes are collected and remitted to the relevant tax authorities.

Assigning Tax Classes to Products

After creating tax classes, the next step is assigning them to the relevant products in your store. This process ensures that the correct tax rate is applied to each product in the cart's order summary. Failure to assign tax classes to products can result in legal implications and lead to a poor customer experience.

Defining Tax Zones

The final step in setting up tax classes and zones is defining the relevant tax zones based on geographic locations. Tax zones can be defined at various levels, including state, region, country, and city. Accurately defining tax zones ensures that the correct tax rate is applied to each product depending on the product's location.

Assigning Tax Rates to Zones

After defining tax zones, the last step in setting up tax classes and zones is assigning the relevant tax rate to each tax class in the designated tax zone. Assigning accurate tax rates ensures that customers are charged the proper tax amount based on the product's location and tax class.

Integrating Third-Party Tax Calculation Tools

Aside from BigCommerce's built-in tax settings, another useful feature is the ability to integrate third-party tax calculation tools. These tools offer additional features beyond BigCommerce's default settings, such as providing more accurate tax calculations, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, and reducing the level of manual work required.

Benefits of Using Third-Party Tax Tools

Integrating third-party tax calculation tools can provide numerous benefits, such as improved tax compliance, accuracy, and automation, reducing manual work and time required to calculate taxes, and improving the overall customer experience.

Popular Third-Party Tax Calculation Tools

Several popular third-party tax calculation tools can be integrated with BigCommerce, such as Avatax, TaxJar, and Vertex. These third-party providers offer a variety of features such as multi-state tax filing, reduced audit risk, and automated tax calculator.

How to Integrate Third-Party Tax Tools with BigCommerce

The process of integrating third-party tax calculation tools with BigCommerce is typically straightforward. Most providers offer an integration plugin that can be installed on your BigCommerce store in a few clicks. After installation, the plugin will sync with your store data, and you'll be able to use the new tax calculation methods offered by the third-party provider.

Managing Sales Tax Exemptions

Another aspect to be aware of in calculating taxes in BigCommerce is managing sales tax exemptions. Various sales tax exemptions are available, such as customers who are tax-exempt or purchasing tax-exempt products. Managing these exemptions is vital in calculating tax requirements accurately and following compliance regulations.

Types of Sales Tax Exemptions

Two common types of sales tax exemptions include product exemptions and customer exemptions. Product exemptions apply to specific products, such as groceries, some medical devices, and other products that may be tax-exempt. Customer exemptions apply to buyers who are exempt from paying taxes, such as charitable organizations or government agencies.

Setting Up Tax-Exempt Customers

To set up tax-exempt customers in BigCommerce, you'll need to create a customer group that is designated as tax-exempt. Once customers have been added to this group, tax requirements will be automatically configured in their orders.

Applying Tax Exemptions to Orders

After setting up tax-exempt customers, you'll need to ensure that tax exemptions are applied accurately. This process requires updating payment and order details accordingly. Keep in mind that it's essential to have accurate documentation in case of an audit or any legal inquiries.

Conclusion

Calculating taxes may be a complicated process, but it's essential to ensure compliance and avoid legal issues. BigCommerce offers robust tax settings that can provide a framework for accurately calculating taxes, including the ability to create tax classes, assign tax rates, integrate with third-party tax calculators, manage sales tax exemptions, and more. With the right knowledge and tools, you can manage taxes with ease and provide a great shopping experience for your customers.

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