Delivery and Taxes on BooStore: Regional Taxes and Automatic Calculation for the USA
BooStore expands its tax configuration capabilities. You can now set tax not only globally but also directly in a delivery method — separately for country, region/state, city or street. For the USA, automatic tax calculation by state and ZIP code is available. Here is how it works and how to configure taxes for your own rules.
Tax in a delivery method
Each delivery method has a “Tax” field. If it is filled in, the tax replaces the order's global tax when this delivery method is selected. If the field is empty, the global tax from the tax editor is used. This lets you set different rates for pickup, courier delivery, international shipping or specific product categories.
For example, you can apply no tax for pickup, one rate for city courier delivery and another rate for delivery to a different region. The setting is stored in the delivery method itself and does not require custom scripts.
Regional taxes: country, region, city, street
Enable “Split by countries/regions” in the delivery method. You can then set separate taxes for country, region/state, city or street. At checkout, the system selects the most specific match:
- if a street tax is set, it is applied;
- if no street is set, the city tax is applied;
- if there is no city, the region/state tax is applied;
- if there is no region, the country tax is applied;
- if no regional taxes are set, the order's global tax is used.
This is useful for the USA, Canada and other countries where the tax rate depends on the buyer's location. The same delivery method can work in different countries, and the tax will be applied automatically based on the address.
Automatic tax calculation for the USA by state and ZIP code
A built-in automatic tax calculation is available for the USA. In the delivery method, select the address mode with State and enable “Auto-calculate tax by ZIP (USA)”. The buyer enters the state and ZIP code, and BooStore automatically determines the tax rate and applies it to the order. This eliminates manual rate tables and reduces the risk of errors.
- Open the settings of the required delivery method.
- Enable address fields with State.
- Enable “Auto-calculate tax by ZIP (USA)”.
- Save the settings and test checkout with different ZIP codes.
If automatic calculation is disabled, you can set tax manually by region or use the global tax. Automatic calculation works together with regional splitting: you can keep automatic rates for the USA and use your own rules for other countries.
Tax formulas
Tax supports math expressions with up to 3 terms. Without a sign, the value is treated as “+”: 15% = +15%. Use “-” for subtraction. Currency can be specified by symbol or ISO code.
+10%— 10% of the order total;+10+3%— 10 units and 3% of the total;+10USD+20%— 10 US dollars and 20% of the total;-5%— reduce the tax by 5%.
Formulas can be used in both the global tax and the tax of a specific delivery method. This allows complex rules to be described without changing code.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where do I set tax for a specific delivery method?
In the delivery method settings, in the “Tax” field. If it is filled in, the tax replaces the order's global tax.
How do regional taxes work?
Enable “Split by countries/regions” and set tax for country, region/state, city or street. At checkout, the most specific match is applied.
How do I enable automatic tax calculation for the USA?
In the delivery method, enable the address with State and the “Auto-calculate tax by ZIP (USA)” option. The rate is determined automatically by state and ZIP code.
What happens if no tax is set for a region?
The system applies the tax from the next level — city, region or country. If no regional taxes are set, the order's global tax is used.
Can I set tax with a formula?
Yes. Expressions with up to 3 terms, percentages, currencies and the +, -, *, / operators are supported.
Is tax included in the delivery cost?
No, tax is calculated separately and displayed as a separate line in the order. The delivery cost is added to the order total independently of tax.
Can I use different taxes for different countries?
Yes. With country/region splitting enabled, you can set a separate rate for each country or keep the global tax.