Manage Tax Settings

Whether you use one or multiple rates, manage your tax settings to charge the correct tax amount at the register. Learn how to set the default rate, add/edit/delete tax groups, and assign tax groups to items.

IMPORTANT: Sales tax figures in reporting are estimates based on how you have configured your Tax Groups 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 Groups
• Add Tax Groups
• Edit / Delete Tax Groups
• Change the Default Group
• Assign Items to Tax Groups
• From the Items 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 group.

   In this case, Sales Tax is set as the default.

   

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3. Enter your rate and click 'Update'.

   All taxable items are taxed at this percentage unless manually assigned to a tax group.

   

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Manage Tax Groups

After entering your default tax rate, you can add additional taxes, edit or remove existing tax groups, or change which tax group is set as the default.

Add Tax Groups

Set up a separate tax group for each different tax rate you charge. Items assigned to a tax group are charged that group’s rate instead of the default.

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

   

2. Click 'Add Tax'.

   

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3. Enter a 'Name' and 'Rate', then click 'Save'.

   

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4. Follow the steps to assign items to the tax group.

Edit / Delete Tax Groups

It’s no problem to edit a tax group if you need to change its name or rate. If a particular tax group is no longer needed, just delete it from BackOffice.

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

   

2. Choose an existing tax group.

   

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3. Enter a new 'Rate' and/or 'Name', then click 'Update'.

   Or click ‘Delete’ to remove the tax group. Items assigned to the tax group will be automatically reassigned to the default group.

   

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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 Group

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

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

   

2. Select a new default group from the 'Default Tax' dropdown and 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 Tax Groups

Items which require a tax rate different from the default must be manually assigned to the relevant tax group. There are two different ways to assign items to tax groups, learn about each below.

From the Items List

Only have a few items to assign to tax groups? Update your items one at a time from the Items List.

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

   

2. Search for and click on an item.

   

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3. Select a tax group 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 groups, using Bulk Management is generally more efficient. Bulk Management allows you to update 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 group name/rate in the spreadsheet's 'Tax Rate' column.
   • For groups with unique names, enter only the name of the group.
   • If some groups share the same name, enter [group name] @ [tax rate] (e.g. Food tax @ 9%).
   • To assign an item to the default tax group, 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.