Manage Tax Settings

Manage tax settings 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. 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:

Manage Tax Settings

Table of Contents

Enter Default Tax Rate

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

From BackOffice Taxes Page

  1. In BackOffice, click 'Settings' and select 'Taxes'.
  2. Click the default tax rate indicated by the checkmark.
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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.

  4. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice’, then ‘Get Updates'.

From the Item Creation Page

  1. Visit the 'Item List'.
    • In BackOffice, click ‘Items’, then ‘Item List’.
    • In the iOS ShopKeep Register app, select ‘Manage Items’ from the Main Menu.
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    iOS Shopkeep Register App

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  2. Select an existing item or create a new one.
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  3. In Pricing, click the 'Tax Rate' drop-down and select 'Add New' to create a new tax rate.

    Or, select an existing tax rate from the drop-down to assign to the item.

  4. Enter a ‘Name’ and ‘Rate’ for the new tax rate. To set the new tax rate as the default, check the box under ‘Make Default’ and click ‘Save’.

    The new default tax rate will be applied to all taxable inventory items. Leave the box under ‘Make Default’ unchecked and click ‘Save’ to create a new non-default tax rate.

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  5. Select a save option to finish editing the item.
  6. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice’, then ‘Get Updates'.

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

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.

Business Owners and BackOffice Managers can also create and apply tax rates from the Manage Items section of the iOS ShopKeep Register app v4.0 and above. Follow these steps to create tax rates at the register.

  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.

  4. In the ShopKeep Register app, open the Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice’ then ‘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 Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice’ then ‘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.

Business Owners and BackOffice Managers can also apply tax rates to items from the Manage Items section of the iOS ShopKeep Register app v4.0 and above. Follow these steps to assign items to tax rates at the register.

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. Navigate to the 'Item List'.
    • In BackOffice, click ‘Items’ and select ‘Item List’. In the iOS ShopKeep Register app, select ‘Manage Items’ from the Main Menu
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    iOS Shopkeep Register App

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  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 Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice' then '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 Main Menu and tap 'Get Updates from BackOffice' then 'Get Updates'.

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

If you have questions about taxes or other BackOffice features, visit our BackOffice FAQ.

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