How to Set Up County-Specific Sales Tax in Zibster
Overview
Zibster allows you to create county-specific Sales Tax lines when you need to charge a particular tax rate based on a customer's location. County-specific Sales Tax lines can be used with ECommerce, Quotes & Invoices, Scheduler, and Form Payments.
When county-specific taxes are configured, customers select their county during checkout so Zibster can apply the appropriate tax rate. You can also use county-specific tax lines alongside other applicable Sales Tax lines, such as a state Sales Tax line.
This guide walks you through creating a county-specific Sales Tax line, configuring its location and rate, and understanding how the customer's county selection affects the tax charged.
Zibster does not determine which tax rates your business is 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 creating a county-specific Sales Tax line:
- Determine the county where you need to collect sales tax.
- Determine the Sales Tax rate that applies to that county.
- Make sure the product, service, payment, or invoice item is configured to charge sales tax where applicable.
Creating a Sales Tax line does not automatically make every transaction taxable. The item or payment must also be configured to charge sales tax.
STEP ONE
Log in to your Zibster account and click ECOMMERCE in the left-side menu.
This opens the ECommerce Dashboard, where you can manage payment and Sales Tax settings.
STEP TWO
At the top of the ECommerce Dashboard, hover over PAYMENT and click TAXES.
This opens your Sales Tax settings, where you can review existing tax lines or create a new one.
STEP THREE
Click NEW TAX LINE.
This opens the settings for creating a new Sales Tax line.
STEP FOUR
Enter a DESCRIPTION for the tax line.
The description is customer-facing and appears on the order summary during checkout, so use a name that clearly identifies the tax being charged.
For example, you may include the county name in the description so customers can distinguish the county tax from other Sales Tax lines.
Next, enter the SALES TAX RATE as a percentage.
For example, enter 2.5 for a 2.5% county Sales Tax rate.
STEP FIVE
Under CHARGE SALES TAX FOR CUSTOMERS LOCATED IN:, select the appropriate country.
Under STATE/PROVINCE, select the specific state or province where the county is located.
Do not leave STATE/PROVINCE set to ALL when creating a county-specific Sales Tax line. The COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) field only appears after you select a specific state or province.
STEP SIX
Under COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL), enter the name of the county where this Sales Tax rate should apply.
Once you configure county-specific taxes for a state, make sure you create the appropriate Sales Tax lines for any other counties you cover in that state.
During checkout, customers will select the appropriate county from the county dropdown. The county they select is used to determine whether a matching county-specific Sales Tax line applies.
STEP SEVEN
Under APPLY SALES TAX TO SHIPPING?, choose whether shipping should be included in the taxable subtotal.
Select YES if shipping should be taxed.
Select NO if shipping should not be included in the taxable amount.
Sales tax requirements for shipping vary by location. Consult a qualified tax professional or your local tax authority if you are unsure whether shipping should be taxed.
FINAL STEP
Review your county, tax rate, shipping setting, and other information, then click ADD TAX LINE.
Your county-specific Sales Tax line is now available for applicable taxable transactions.
Before accepting live payments, test your setup using checkout information for the state you configured. Select the appropriate county from the county dropdown and confirm that the expected Sales Tax line and amount appear in the order summary.
Repeat these steps for additional counties where you need to configure other tax rates.
How County-Specific Sales Tax Works at Checkout
When county-specific taxes are configured, Zibster provides a county selection during checkout.
The customer must select the appropriate county for Zibster to determine which county-specific Sales Tax rate applies.
For the county-specific Sales Tax line to match, the checkout location must correspond with the location configured on the tax line:
- Country
- State/Province
- County selected during checkout
The selected county must match the county entered on the Sales Tax line.
If the customer selects a different county, a county-specific tax configured for another county will not apply.
Using State and County Sales Tax Lines Together
You can configure separate Sales Tax lines for different levels of tax.
For example, you may have a Sales Tax line that applies at the state level and another Sales Tax line for a specific county. When the transaction qualifies for both applicable tax lines, the state and county taxes can appear separately in the customer's order summary.
Using clear descriptions for each Sales Tax line helps customers understand the individual tax charges shown during checkout.
Why the County Taxes Field May Not Appear
The COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) field only appears after you select a specific STATE/PROVINCE.
If STATE/PROVINCE is set to ALL, the county field is not displayed.
Select the specific state or province where the county is located to display COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL).
The APPLY IN ADDITION TO ANY APPLICABLE SALES TAX option that can appear when a tax is configured for broader locations does not appear when configuring a county-specific Sales Tax line.
Make Sure Your Items Are Taxable
Creating a county-specific Sales Tax line determines where a tax rate can apply. It does not automatically make every product, service, payment, or invoice item taxable.
Depending on where you collect payment, review the sales tax settings for your:
- ECommerce products and services
- Form Payments
- Scheduler services
- Quote or invoice items
If the correct county is selected but the tax does not appear, confirm that the item or transaction is configured to charge sales tax.
Applying Sales Tax to Shipping
The APPLY SALES TAX TO SHIPPING? setting controls whether shipping charges are included in the taxable subtotal.
Select YES if shipping should be taxed.
Select NO if shipping should not be included in the taxable amount.
Sales tax requirements for shipping vary by location. Consult a qualified tax professional or your local tax authority if you are unsure whether shipping should be taxed.
County-Specific Sales Tax for Quotes & Invoices
For Quotes & Invoices, the billing information associated with the invoice must contain the location information needed for the applicable Sales Tax line.
When troubleshooting county-specific tax on an invoice, review the customer's billing country, state or province, and county information.
Missing or incorrect billing location information can prevent the expected tax from calculating.
For additional invoice troubleshooting, see Why Sales Tax Is Not Appearing on Your Zibster Invoice.
Additional Options and Helpful Notes
- Create separate Sales Tax lines when different counties require different tax rates.
- Enter each county name carefully so it corresponds with the county customers select during checkout.
- Use a clear DESCRIPTION because the description appears on the customer's order summary.
- COUNTY TAXES (OPTIONAL) only appears after you select a specific STATE/PROVINCE.
- Once you configure county taxes within a state, make sure the appropriate Sales Tax lines are created for the other counties you cover in that state.
- A customer must select the appropriate county during checkout for the matching county-specific Sales Tax line to apply.
- State and county Sales Tax lines can appear as separate charges when both are applicable to the transaction.
- Make sure the product, service, payment, or invoice item is configured to charge sales tax.
- Test your Sales Tax setup before accepting live payments.
- Zibster calculates tax using the Sales Tax settings you configure. Zibster does not determine your tax obligations or recommend tax rates.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
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, choose the state or province where the county is located to display the county field.
Why isn't my county-specific sales tax being applied?
First, confirm that the product, service, payment, or invoice item is configured to charge sales tax.
Next, review the billing information associated with the transaction.
The following information must match the county-specific Sales Tax line:
-
Country
-
State/Province
-
County
If the county is missing, incorrect, or does not match the Sales Tax line, the county-specific tax may not calculate.
What information is required for county-specific tax on an invoice?
The billing information associated with the invoice must include the country, state or province, and county that match your Sales Tax line.
A missing county is a common reason county-specific sales tax does not appear on an invoice.
If sales tax is not appearing on an invoice, see Why Sales Tax Is Not Appearing on Your Zibster Invoice.
Can I create Sales Tax lines for multiple counties?
Yes. Create a separate Sales Tax line for each county where you need to collect a different tax rate.
Does a county-specific Sales Tax line make every transaction taxable?
No. The Sales Tax line determines where the tax can apply and which rate Zibster should use.
The product, service, payment, or invoice item must also be configured to charge sales tax.
Where can I learn about the other Sales Tax settings?
For the complete Sales Tax setup process, including country and state or province tax lines, shipping tax, and additional settings, see How to Set Up Sales Tax in Zibster.
Need Help?
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Phone: 844.353.3412
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