Supported Tax
In simple words
Kitchen365 calculates sales tax for you. You choose one tax engine — Stripe Tax or TaxJar for live rates by address, or US Rules, a rate table you keep yourself — and every quote, order and website checkout uses it. Tax Base Modes let you decide exactly which amount is taxed: products only, or products plus shipping, with or without discounts and assembly.
The problem it solves
US sales tax changes by state, county, city and even ZIP code, and states disagree on whether shipping, discounts and installation are taxable. Working it out by hand is slow and risky: charge too little and you owe the difference; charge too much and you overcharge customers. A tax engine looks up the correct rate, and the tax base mode makes sure it is applied to the right amount.
What happens without it
| If tax is worked out by hand | What it means for your business |
|---|---|
| Staff look up the rate for every address | 5–10 minutes per quote |
| A single flat rate is used for everyone | Under- or over-charging in most locations |
| Shipping is taxed (or not) inconsistently | Wrong totals and compliance exposure |
| Discounts are ignored when calculating tax | Customers are overcharged and complain |
| Assembly fees are taxed when they shouldn't be | Overcharging, refunds and corrections |
| Rates are updated only when someone notices | Months of wrong tax on every order |
Time you save
| Task | The manual way | With Supported Tax | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find the tax rate for an address | Search a rate lookup site — 5 min | Stripe Tax, TaxJar or US Rules returns it | 5 min per quote |
| Decide what is taxable | Check if shipping, discount and assembly count — 3–5 min | The Tax Base Mode decides it | 3–5 min per quote |
| Keep rates current | Watch for rate changes in every state | Stripe Tax and TaxJar keep rates up to date | Hours every quarter |
| Correct a wrong tax charge | Re-issue the quote or refund the difference — 20+ min | Calculated correctly the first time | Corrections avoided |
| Change tax provider | Re-train staff on a new tool | Add the method, enter its key, turn it on | Days avoided |
| Explain tax on an order | Rebuild the calculation by hand | The order shows item tax and shipping tax | Questions answered on the spot |
Your process, before and after
Each person looks up a rate, decides what is taxable, and types in a tax amount. Two people can charge the same customer different tax.
One tax engine calculates tax everywhere, on the amount your tax base mode defines. Every quote, order and checkout is consistent, and the order shows exactly how tax was worked out.
Only one tax method can be on at a time — turning one on turns the others off. Finish the provider details before you switch, so tax is not interrupted.
Who uses it
- Admin — chooses and configures the tax method
- Accounts team — owns tax rules, rates and filing
- Sales team — sees the correct tax on every quote and order
- Business head — decides which tax provider to pay for
When to use it
- Before you start quoting or selling online
- When you register to collect tax in a new state (nexus)
- When you move from your own rate table to Stripe Tax or TaxJar, or the other way
- When your accountant tells you shipping, discounts or assembly should be treated differently
- When tax rates change in a state where you keep your own US Rules table
What each part does for you
| Supported option | How it helps you |
|---|---|
| Stripe Tax | Live tax rates by address from Stripe, with your ship-from address and tax codes |
| TaxJar | Live tax rates from TaxJar, using your nexus locations |
| US Rules (Internal) | Your own rate table by state and ZIP — no external account needed |
| One active tax method | Every channel uses the same engine, so totals never disagree |
| Tax Base Modes | Choose exactly what is taxed: subtotal, shipping, discounts, assembly |
| Custom tax base modes | Create your own formula when the built-in ones don't fit |
| Tax breakdown on orders | Shows item tax and shipping tax, so you can explain any total |
Step-by-step guide
See Supported Tax in the Console Guide for every method's setup steps, fields and all Tax Base Modes, and Configuration › Tax Methods for the screen itself.
Related pages
- Configuration — all store-level rules
- Supported Payment
- Supported Shipping
- Quote Management
- Order Management