Manage Tax Settings

Manage tax settings in BackOffice to ensure the correct tax amount is charged at the register for every item. Enter the default tax rate to be applied to all taxable items, add other rates to override the default tax for specific items, and assign items to tax rates individually or in bulk.

IMPORTANT: Sales tax figures in reporting are estimates based on how you have configured your tax rates in BackOffice. For official filings, always verify your current local rates, then manually calculate tax using net taxable and non-taxable revenues. Be aware that tax laws can change at any time and you should contact a tax professional for specific tax advice regarding your business.

To learn how tax is calculated in ShopKeep, visit the Sales by Tax Group Report article.

Watch our Manage Tax Settings video:

Table of Contents

• Enter Default Tax Rate
• Manage Tax Rates
• Add Tax Rates
• Edit and Delete Tax Rates
• Change the Default Tax
• Assign Items to Taxes
• From the Item List
• Using Bulk Management

Enter Default Tax Rate

Learn how to enter the default tax rate which is automatically applied to all taxable inventory items.

1. In BackOffice, click 'Settings' and select 'Taxes'.

   

2. Click the default tax rate.

   Here, ‘Sales tax’ is the default as it is the only tax rate listed. If there are multiple tax rates set up, click any rate to see which is the default.

   

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3. Enter the tax rate details, then click 'Update'.

   All taxable items will be taxed at this percentage unless manually assigned to a tax rate.

   

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   Name | Name of the tax rate as it appears in BackOffice reporting (e.g. “Prepared Food Tax”).
   Rate | Percentage of tax charged for this tax rate (e.g. 7%, 8.875%, etc.).
   Set as Default | When checked, the tax rate becomes the default tax applied to all items not assigned to a tax rate.

Manage Tax Rates

After entering the default tax rate, you can add additional rates for each individual tax you charge and edit or remove existing tax rates. While multiple different tax rates can be managed, only one tax rate can be assigned to each item.

1. In BackOffice, click 'Settings' and select 'Taxes'.

   

Add Tax Rates

Set up a separate tax rate for each different tax the business charges. Additional tax rates are used to override the default tax for items assigned to them. While multiple different tax rates can be added to BackOffice, only one rate can be assigned to each item.

1. Click 'Add New'.

   

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2. Enter the tax rate details, then click 'Save'.

   

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   Name | Name of the tax rate as it appears in BackOffice reporting (e.g. “Prepared Food Tax”).
   Rate | Percentage of tax charged for this tax rate (e.g. 7%, 8.875%, etc.).
   Set as Default | When checked, the tax rate becomes the default tax applied to all items not assigned to a tax rate.

3. Follow the steps to assign items to the tax rate.

Edit and Delete Tax Rates

Edit a tax rate to change its name, percentage, or to make it the default tax. If a tax rate is no longer needed, delete it to remove it from use.

1. Select an existing tax rate.

   

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2. To edit the tax rate, make changes and click 'Update'.

   

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3. To delete the tax rate, click 'Delete', then ‘Delete’ again to confirm.
   The default tax rate cannot be deleted. If a tax rate is assigned to items, deleting it will automatically reassign those items to the default rate.
   

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4. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Control Panel and tap 'Get Updates'.

   If you receive an error while getting updates, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

Change the Default Tax

After adding tax rates, you can change which is considered the default. The default tax is automatically charged on all taxable inventory items not already assigned to a tax rate.

1. Select an existing tax rate to make the default.

   

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2. Check the 'Yes' box under 'Set as Default', then click 'Update'.

   

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3. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Control Panel and tap 'Get Updates'.

   If you receive an error while getting updates, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

Assign Items to Taxes

Items which require a tax rate different from the default must be manually assigned to the relevant tax. Assign items from the Item List if there are only a few to manage or use Bulk Management for larger quantities of items.

From the Item List

Only have a few items to assign to tax rates? Update items one at a time from the Item List.

1. In BackOffice, click 'Items' and select 'Item List'.

   

2. Search for and click on an item.

   

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3. Select a tax from the 'Tax Rate' dropdown.

   

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4. Click 'OK' to save.

   

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5. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Control Panel and tap 'Get Updates'.

   If you receive an error while getting updates, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

Using Bulk Management

If you have many items to assign to tax rates, using Bulk Management is more efficient. Bulk Management allows for updating multiple items at once using a spreadsheet.

1. Follow the steps to start a new 'Update Items' job in Bulk Management.
2. After exporting your inventory, enter the tax name and percentage (if needed) in the spreadsheet's 'Tax Rate' column.
   • For rates with unique names, enter only the name of the rate.
   • If some rates share the same name, enter [rate name] @ [rate percentage] (e.g. Food tax @ 9%).
   • To assign an item to the default tax rate, leave the ‘Tax Rate’ field blank.

   

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3. Complete the steps to save and upload the prepared spreadsheet into Bulk Management.
4. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Control Panel and tap 'Get Updates'.

   If you receive an error while getting updates, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.