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TaxJar

  1. Installation & Setup
  2. Updating Categories & Nexus Data
  3. Product Categories
  4. Customer Exemptions
  5. SmartCalc Real Time Tax Calculations
  6. Manual Order Actions
  7. Historical Order Import
  8. XML Provisioning

Video Overview

TaxJar Sales Tax Automation Integration Guide from Miva on Vimeo.

Overview

TaxJar is a real-time sales tax calculation and state filing service which allows you calculate, display and collect taxes from your customers during checkout. It also allows you to optionally remit those taxes to each state via their Auto Filing Service.

TaxJar supports calculating taxes in the following countries: United States, Canada, Australia, and European Union.

Installation & Setup

To install the TaxJar module, first download it from the Miva App Store.

Next, upload it to your domain under Modules -> Add/Remove Modules.

Finally, to make it live you need to install it in your store. Under Store Settings -> Settings -> Sales Tax Calculation choose TaxJar and click Update.

Note: If you have a different Sales Tax Module installed, it will give you a warning message that switching Tax modules will remove all existing tax settings.

TaxJar Configuration

Once installed a new tab group will appear under Store Settings, towards the bottom. Here you have access to the following settings:

API Token - You must generate an API token in TaxJar to activate the service. This is done under Account -> SmartCalcs API. Here, you can click the Generate API Token button which will generate you a production and sandbox api token.

Here are instructions on how to generate you API token in TaxJar: https://support.taxjar.com/article/160-how-do-i-get-a-smartcalcs-sales-tax-api-token

API Endpoint - Drop down for Sandbox or Production Servers

Note: You will need to use the correct sandbox or production API token based on which API endpoint you are using in Miva. Using a sandbox API token with the production API endpoint will produce errors.

Automatically Create TaxJar Transactions- [recommended] With this setting enabled, when an order is placed by the customer Miva will make a call to TaxJar to push up the order data. This setting should be used if you are planning to use TaxJar for tax reporting and filing.

Use Nexus Data to Limit API Calls [recommended] - With this setting set, Miva will only make an API call to TaxJar for the States/locations you have Nexus. Miva will request the nexus locations from TaxJar and use those to determine if a tax API call should be made during checkout and a transaction API call when the order is placed. With this setting disabled, an API call is made on every order regardless of Nexus. Important Note: Transactions will be pushed to TaxJar regardless of if this setting is checked. This is because TaxJar needs all order data to determine if you qualify for economic nexus for a state at some future date.

API Timeout: This is used in the event the TaxJar API is down or not responding. Miva will wait for 30 seconds and if no response is sent, it will fallback to teh Fallback Tax Rate. This alows for orders to still be created in Miva if the TaxJar API was down.

Fallback Tax Rate: In the event the TaxJar API is down, this fallback flat rate method for calculating tax is used. Default is 0 which will not charge taxes for the order but still allow the order to be placed.

Ship From: This allows you to specify a unique Ship From Address which will be used for Tax Calculations.

TaxJar Categories Last Updated: This shows you the last date and time the categories were updated from TaxJar.

Nexus Regions Last Updated: This shows you the last date and time the Nexus Regions were updated from TaxJar.

Nexus Regions - This is a list of each country and region for Nexus which is configured in TaxJar. If "Use Nexus Data to Limit API Calls" is checked, only countries and regions listed here will be taxed and have transactions pushed to TaxJar.

Order Number Format

When Miva pushes up a transaction to TaxJar we use a unique id for each transaction. Added in version 1.0002 the format used will contain the Miva order number so that it is searchable in taxjar.

<store_code>-<order:id>-<Random 32 Character String>

How to Update Product Categories & Nexus

If you add a new nexus location in TaxJar (say for example you have a new warehouse in a different state) you'll want to have Miva pull your new nexus location in to Miva. This can be done manually from Utilities -> Arrow Sub Menu -> Update TaxJar Categories/Nexus. This is also where you would pull in the latest Product Categories from TaxJar as they are constantly adding new categories.

Product Categries

In order to get the most accurate tax rates, you’ll need to categorize each product you sell into one of TaxJar's fixed list of categories. The default category is to treat all products as fully taxable. However, every state has different tax rules for different products. TaxJar manages this for you as long as you correctly categorize your products.

To edit the product category, edit a product and from the main product details screen scroll down to the TaxJar tab group.

This TaxJar category assignment is also importable and exportable as a csustom field. Go to Data Management -> Import/Export -> Add/Update Products from CSV.

Below is a full list of TaxJar Catgories

Installation Services Code:
10040		 Countries:
US		 Installation services separately stated from sales of tangible personal property.
General Services Code:
19000		 Countries:
US		 Miscellaneous services which are not subject to a service-specific tax levy. This category will only treat services as taxable if the jurisdiction taxes services generally.
Advertising Services Code:
19001		 Countries:
US		 Services rendered for advertising which do not include the exchange of tangible personal property.
Parking Services Code:
19002		 Countries:
US		 Service of providing usage of a parking space.
Admission Services Code:
19003		 Countries:
US		 Admission charges associated with entry to an event.
Training Services Code:
19004		 Countries:
US		 Services provided to educate users on the proper use of a product.
Professional Services Code:
19005		 Countries:
US		 Professional services which are not subject to a service-specific tax levy.
Dry Cleaning Services Code:
19006		 Countries:
US		 Services provided in the cleaning of clothing and/or fabrics.
Repair Services Code:
19007		 Countries:
US		 Services provided to restore tangible personal property to working order or optimal functionality.
Hairdressing Services Code:
19008		 Countries:
US		 Services provided to cut and style human hair.
Printing Services Code:
19009		 Countries:
US		 Services provided to apply graphics and/or text to paper or other substrates which do not involve an exchange of tangible personal property.
Clothing Code:
20010		 Countries:
US		 All human wearing apparel suitable for general use.
Clothing - Swimwear Code:
20041		 Countries:
US		 Bathing suits and swim suits.
Software as a Service Code:
30070		 Countries:
US		 Pre-written software, delivered electronically, but access remotely.
Digital Goods Code:
31000		 Countries:
US, EU		 Digital products transferred electronically, meaning obtained by the purchaser by means other than tangible storage media.
Candy Code:
40010		 Countries:
US		 Candy and similar items
Supplements Code:
40020		 Countries:
US		 Non-food dietary supplements.
Food & Groceries Code:
40030		 Countries:
US, EU, AUS		 Food for humans consumption, unprepared
Soft Drinks Code:
40050		 Countries:
US		 Soft drinks, soda, and other similar beverages. Does not include fruit juices and water.
Bottled Water Code:
40060		 Countries:
US		 Bottled, drinkable water for human consumption.
Prepared Foods Code:
41000		 Countries:
US		 Foods intended for on-site consumption. Ex. Restaurant meals.
Non-Prescription Code:
51010		 Countries:
US, EU		 Drugs for human use without a prescription.
Prescription Code:
51020		 Countries:
US, EU		 Drugs for human use with a prescription.
Books Code:
51020		 Countries:
US, EU		 Drugs for human use with a prescription.
Textbooks Code:
81110		 Countries:
US		 Religious books and manuals, printed.
Religious Books Code:
81120		 Countries:
US		 Textbooks, printed.
Magazines & Subscriptions Code:
81300		 Countries:
US		 Periodicals, printed, sold by subscription.
Magazine Code:
81310		 Countries:
US, EU		 Periodicals, printed, sold individually.
Other Exempt Code:
99999 		Countries:
All		 Item is exempt. Important Note: Other Exempt is currently not supported in AutoFile

Note: TaxJar is updating this list often. If you don’t see your products category check with TaxJar on timing for when it will be supported.

Updating Product Categories

Because TaxJar is constantly adding new product categories, you'll periodically want to update the categories in Miva. Under Edit Store -> TaxJar tab group It will show you the last time the categorie list was updated. To update this list, click the arrow next Utilities then "Update TaxJar Categories"

Customer Exemptions

TaxJar also has settings to mark individual customers as Tax Exempt. TaxJar supports 4 classifications:

  • Non-Exempt (default)
  • Wholesale
  • Government
  • Other

In addition, there is a customer level field to define state/country exemptions. This allows you to add state/country pairs in the following format (one per line):

<state>,<country>

Both of these settings are also importable and exportable via the standard customer import/export as custom fields. Under Data Management -> Export Customers to Flat File

Real Time Tax Calculations

One of the main features of TaxJar is to be able to display accurate sales tax amounts to your customers during checkout for any state your business have a physical presence (nexus). It allows you to collect the correct amount of sales tax from your customers. When the TaxJar module is assigned to your Miva store as the method to calculate sales taxes, Miva will automatically make a call to TaxJar when the customer is in the checkout process. The sales tax calculation process happens after the customer chooses a payment method and shipping method and continues on to the final screen to enter in their payment details (OPAY).

How Taxes are Calculated

Miva will take the cart contents and send them to TaxJar along with product TaxJar category. This product category is used to determine if the product is taxable in the state it is being sold. Also, if the customer is logged into their Miva customer account, the customer level exemption status will also be sent to TaxJar (non-exempt, wholesale, government, other). With all this data TaxJar will return a tax rate to the customer which gets added to the order.

Calculating Taxes in Admin

It's also possible to calculate (or recalculate) taxes for any order in the Miva admin. Sales taxes in admin are calculated in two scenarios:

  1. Automatically any time an item is added, removed or updated on an order.
  2. Manually by clicking the "Edit Shipping/Taxes/Charges" button and clicking the "Recalculate" button. This will update shipping but also recalculate all tax changes based on the current order.

Manual Order Actions

When viewing and updating an order within the Miva admin, there are 3 actions you can take to modify the order in TaxJar.

Insert Order To TaxJar

All orders placed manually via the Miva admin will need the order manually pushed to TaxJar if you wish to use TaxJar for reporting (and filing). This allows the transaction to be recorded in TaxJar. To insert the order into TaxJar click the TaxJar Link on the order detail screen:

Update Order In TaxJar

If an order changes after it was placed, such as an item was added, the tax amount is likely to change as well. To ensure TaxJar has the most up to date tax information, it's important to also push the order changes to TaxJar as well. Just recalculating taxes on the order does not automatically push the updated tax amount to TaxJar for filing and reporting.

To push the order and tax changes to TaxJar, click the TaxJar link and click Update TaxJar Order

Delete Order in TaxJar

If an order is cancelled, returned or refunded in Miva you’ll want to ensure that the order and the taxes on the order get removed from TaxJar so that reporting and state filing data in TaxJar is accurate. To delete an order from TaxJar click the TaxJar link on the order detail screen and select Delete TaxJar Order

With all these actions, if you have ""Limit Nexus Data to Limit API Calls"" set, these calls to insert, update or delete will only be made if the order state matches a nexus state.

Historical Import

If you plan on using TaxJar for state filing then it is strongly recommended you import the current calendar years historical orders so that TaxJar has all the data you need to file for each state. TaxJar has a CSV import format to allow you to import your historical orders. Please reference this article for instructions on how to import the CSV into TaxJar: https://support.taxjar.com/article/173-import-edit-transactions-with-a-csv

Batch Report

We’ve provided a template batch report you can add to your Miva store which will easily allow you to select a range of orders and export to the correct CSV format TaxJar is expecting.

A couple things to note about the export:

  1. It only exports orders which are not Cancelled, Backordered, RMA Issued or Refunded.
  2. It does not do anything related to refunds. ie if you refunded an order but never changed the status or tax amount its possible the tax value could be incorrect.
  3. TaxJar Recommends to keep file size at 10,000 orders or less. If you have more than 10k orders to import it should be split up into multiple files.

Setup Instructions

  1. Under Utilities ->Template Based Batch Report Add a new Order Batch Report.
  2. For the template copy and paste in the code below:
  3. Assign the "http_headers" item to the page with the following settings:
    • Content-Type text/csv
    • Content-Disposition attachment; filename="axjar_order_export.csv"
  4. Finally to generate the CSV go to Order Processing, filter the orders to the date range you want, use CTRL + a to select all orders and click Batch Actions -> Batch Report

    5. When you click Run Report a Blank popup window will open and a csv file will appear to download. If you are processing thousands of orders here, the file make take a few minutes before it is ready to download.

If you are attempting to export thousands of orders, it may be required to split up the orders into chunks to avoid report timeout issues.

XML Provisioning

The following XML Provisioning functions are available to use:

These xml functions can be used via the JSON API using: https://docs.miva.com/json-api/functions/provision_store

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