How to Set Up Sales Tax in PhotoBiz

Overview

PhotoBiz allows you to create Sales Tax lines that calculate tax based on the location and tax settings you configure. Sales Tax lines can be used with ECommerce, Client Galleries, Form Payments, Scheduler, and Quotes & Invoices.

This guide walks you through creating a Sales Tax line, choosing where it applies, and configuring options for combined taxes and shipping. You will also learn how customer location information affects tax calculations and what to check if sales tax does not appear.

PhotoBiz does not determine which tax rates you are required to collect. Consult a qualified tax professional or your local tax authority to determine the rates and rules that apply to your business.

Prerequisites

Before setting up sales tax, determine the tax rate and geographic area where you need to collect it.

Keep in mind that creating a Sales Tax line does not automatically make every product, service, or invoice item taxable. The item or payment must also be configured to charge sales tax where applicable.

STEP ONE

This opens the ECommerce Dashboard, where you can manage your payment, tax, shipping, product, and sales settings.

STEP TWO

At the top of the ECommerce Dashboard, hover over PAYMENT and click TAXES from the dropdown menu.

This opens your Sales Tax settings, where you can view existing tax lines and create new ones.

STEP THREE

Click NEW TAX LINE.

A new tax line form will open so you can enter the tax rate, location, and other settings.

STEP FOUR

Enter a DESCRIPTION for the tax line. This is the name of the tax that customers will see on the order summary during checkout. Use a clear description such as North Carolina Sales Tax.

Enter the SALES TAX RATE as a percentage. For example, enter 7.25 for a 7.25% sales tax rate.

Under CHARGE SALES TAX FOR CUSTOMERS LOCATED IN:, select the country where the tax applies. Then choose a STATE/PROVINCE.

Select ALL if the tax should apply to customers throughout the selected country. When ALL is selected, the APPLY IN ADDITION TO ANY APPLICABLE SALES TAX option appears. Select YES only when this tax should be charged in addition to applicable state and/or county-level Sales Tax lines that are already configured.

Select a specific STATE/PROVINCE when the tax only applies to customers in that location. When you select a specific state or province, the COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) field appears.

Enter a county only when the Sales Tax line should apply to customers located in that county. If you use county-level tax rates, make sure you create the appropriate Sales Tax lines for all counties where you need to collect tax.

Under APPLY SALES TAX TO SHIPPING?, select YES if shipping should be included in the taxable subtotal or NO if shipping should not be taxed.

After reviewing your settings, click ADD TAX LINE.

FINAL STEP

Your new Sales Tax line is now saved and available for applicable taxable transactions. PhotoBiz will use the location and tax settings you configured to determine when that Sales Tax line applies.

Before accepting live payments, test your setup with a transaction using an address that matches the location configured on your Sales Tax line. Confirm that the expected tax appears before completing the transaction.

How Customer Location Affects Sales Tax

PhotoBiz uses the customer's location information to determine whether a Sales Tax line applies.

A country-level Sales Tax line requires the customer's country to match.
A state or province-specific Sales Tax line requires the appropriate country and state/province.
A county-specific Sales Tax line requires the appropriate country, state/province, and county.
If the required location information is missing or does not match the Sales Tax line, the tax may not be calculated.
Customers whose locations do not match one of your configured Sales Tax lines will not be charged that tax.

For Quotes & Invoices, pay particular attention to the billing information saved for the contact receiving the invoice. If your Sales Tax line is based on a state or province, the contact needs the appropriate country and state/province. If you use county-specific taxes, the contact also needs the appropriate county.

State, Province, and County Tax Settings

The options displayed when creating a Sales Tax line change based on your STATE/PROVINCE selection.

When ALL is selected, PhotoBiz displays APPLY IN ADDITION TO ANY APPLICABLE SALES TAX. This setting allows the tax to be charged in addition to other applicable state and/or county-level Sales Tax lines.

When you select a specific state or province, PhotoBiz displays COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) instead. Use this field when a particular tax rate should only apply within a specific county.

If tax rates vary between counties, create the Sales Tax lines necessary for each county where you collect tax.

For more information, see How to Set Up Different Tax Rates Per County.

Make Sure Your Items Are Taxable

Creating a Sales Tax line establishes the rate and location where tax can apply. The item being purchased must also be configured to charge sales tax.

Depending on where you are collecting payment, review the tax settings for your:

ECommerce products and services
Client Galleries products and purchases
Form Payments
Scheduler services
Quote or invoice items

If a Sales Tax line is configured correctly but tax does not appear, checking whether the item is taxable should be one of your first troubleshooting steps.

Applying Sales Tax to Shipping

The APPLY SALES TAX TO SHIPPING? setting determines whether shipping charges are included in the taxable subtotal.

Select YES when shipping needs to be taxed. Select NO when shipping should not be included in the taxable amount.

Tax rules for shipping vary by location. Consult a qualified tax professional or your local tax authority if you are unsure whether shipping should be taxed.

Updating Your Sales Tax Settings

You can update your Sales Tax settings when a rate or tax requirement changes. Updated settings can be used for new transactions after your changes are saved.

Existing invoices do not automatically change when you update a Sales Tax line or ECommerce item after the invoice has been created. Review existing invoices separately if they need to reflect updated tax information.

See Will My Invoice Amounts Change If I Update Sales Tax or ECommerce Items? for more information.

Additional Options or Helpful Notes

You can create multiple Sales Tax lines for different countries, states, provinces, or counties.
Use a clear DESCRIPTION because customers can see the tax name on the order summary during checkout.
Selecting ALL for STATE/PROVINCE and selecting a specific state or province display different tax options.
County tax settings only appear after you select a specific state or province.
Test your Sales Tax setup before accepting live payments.
Review your Sales Tax Report when you need to see how much tax has been collected through PhotoBiz.
PhotoBiz calculates tax using the settings you configure. PhotoBiz does not determine your tax obligations or recommend tax rates.

Troubleshooting or FAQs

Why is sales tax not appearing?

Confirm that you have an applicable Sales Tax line and that the product, service, payment, or invoice item is configured as taxable.

Next, verify that the customer's location information matches the Sales Tax line. State or province-specific taxes require matching country and state/province information. County-specific taxes also require the appropriate county.

For invoices, verify the billing information for the contact associated with the invoice. Missing country, state/province, or county information is a common reason sales tax does not calculate.

See Why Sales Tax Is Not Appearing on Your PhotoBiz Invoice for additional troubleshooting.

Why don't I see the County Taxes option?

The COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) field only appears after you select a specific STATE/PROVINCE.

If ALL is selected, PhotoBiz displays APPLY IN ADDITION TO ANY APPLICABLE SALES TAX instead.

Why isn't my county tax applying?

Verify that the customer's country, state/province, and county match the location configured on the Sales Tax line.

If any of the required location information is missing or does not match, the county-specific tax may not calculate.

What does Apply in Addition to Any Applicable Sales Tax do?

When available, this setting determines whether the Sales Tax line should be charged in addition to applicable state and/or county-level Sales Tax lines already configured in your account.

Only enable this setting when your tax requirements call for multiple Sales Tax lines to apply to the same transaction.

Will changing my Sales Tax settings update existing invoices?

No. Existing invoices do not automatically update when you change a Sales Tax line or an ECommerce item after the invoice has been created.

Review and update an existing invoice separately if it needs to reflect your new tax settings.

Where can I see how much sales tax I collected?

Use the PhotoBiz Sales Tax Report to review the sales tax collected through your account for a selected period.

See How to Access Sales Tax Reports for instructions.

Need Help?

Support Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST

Phone: 866.463.7620

Support Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket

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