If you ever run into the issue of taxes not calculating, this generally means a setting is off as opposed to there being a technical issue. This article will guide you through what steps you could take to solve this problem. 


Applies to Version(s): 3.9.x  Series

Complexity Level: Average

Estimated Time for Completion: 5 minutes 


Tax Rate

The first thing you have to do is to check if your tax and tax classes are enabled. If you haven't created a Tax Rate yet, see How to Enable Taxes. If everything is set up, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Taxes
  2. Make sure that Tax Class is set. You do not need to create a tax class. By default, the cart uses the General tax class, and this is perfectly fine for you if you want to charge the same tax rate for all of your products.
  3. Check if the Country/State is properly assigned. The only two countries that have a state option are the United States and Canada by default. You can edit countries to add states to them in the Countries section of the admin area.
  4. Check if the tax rate percentage is assigned. No need to add a % symbol here.


Advanced Settings

You will also want to check the Advanced Settings. Certain combinations of these settings can cause issues with tax calculations.


Apply Tax To Orders By:

  • Order Shipping Address, or Billing Address if there is no shipping - This will ensure tax isn't charged until the customer selects their Shipping Address.
  • Order Billing Address - This will ensure the tax rate isn't applied until the customer enters their Billing Address.
  • Default Tax Country/State - Having this set will make it so that your tax rate is set to the Country/State selected in the fields below. If that happens to be the Country and/or state you're charging tax for, then tax will apply at checkout until the customer selects a different country/state. This setting can cause issues, because you may see people in other states complaining about a tax charge. However, if they select their state, the tax charge will go away. 

tax advanced settings


The most common reason for taxes not displaying is that the Tax Class hasn't been enabled on products. If you find yourself getting numerous complaints, we suggest that you double-check if you enabled taxes on your products. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Products & Categories > select a product.
  2. Scroll down under Pricing & Taxation, and click the box beside "Taxable product". 
  3. Set the Tax Class to General.
  4. Click Save afterward.


add tax to product


Links to Related Articles


How to Enable Taxes


If you didn't get your question answered, please contact the PinnacleCart Support Team. To submit a ticket, go to the My Account drop-down menu at the top right of the admin area and select Support.