Knowledgebase
How to add and manage tax rates in PrestaShop 1.5-1.6
In PrestaShop taxes are added and managed with the help of tax rates and tax rules. To apply a tax(es) to a product, first you need to create the tax rate(s), then a tax rule; you have to add the tax rate(s) to the rule and assign the tax rule to the product from the options of that product.
In this article we'll briefly cover the topic of tax rates. For screenshots and more details check out the tutorial on how to manage tax rates in PrestaShop 1.5-1.6. For information on tax rules check the tutorial on how to manage tax rules in PrestaShop 1.5-1.6, or the respective shorter article version.
Creating Taxes
To add a new tax, go to Localization menu>Taxes sub-menu and on the page that opens click on the button Add new tax (in PrestaShop 1.5 it's labeled Add new). This will display a page with a few options. Type a name for the tax in the respective field. It's a good idea to indicate in the name the country to which the tax applies and the rate. In the Rate field type the actual tax rate (it's in percents); from the Enable option select whether the tax should be active, meaning that it can be used in tax rules, and click on the Save button.
Manage Existing Taxes
To manage the tax rates that have already been added, go to Localization menu>Taxes sub-menu and you'll see them listed in a table. To edit the options of a tax click on its Edit button (a pencil icon in PrestaShop 1.5). The options that you can edit are the same as when adding a new tax.
To delete a tax rate, click on the arrow next to its Edit button and select Delete. In PrestaShop 1.5 the button is a trash can icon.
To enable and disable tax rates, use the symbols that are in the column Enabled in the table. The green checkmark indicates that the tax is enabled and the red X sign that it's disabled. Just click on the symbol and it will change into the opposite one.
With the Bulk actions drop-down menu below the table you can enable, disable and delete more than one tax at the same time. Before you select the action you have to mark the checkbox of each tax; there's one in front of the name of every tax.
Basic Tax Options
When you go to Localization menu>Taxes sub-menu at the bottom of the page there's a panel Tax options that contains some general options that affect all taxes. With the option Enable tax you can choose whether taxes should be applied. With the option Display tax in shopping cart you can select whether or not the tax amount (if any) should be shown on a separate line at the Summary and Payment steps of the checkout process and in the cart block. When the option is disabled, the tax amount will be shown as a separate line only at the Payment step of the checkout. If you enable it, it will also be shown at the Summary step of the checkout; in case the Price display method for the customer group to which the customer belongs is set to Tax included, it will also be shown on a separate line in the cart block. You can manage the price display method of a group by editing that group (Customers menu>Groups sub-menu).
From the Based on option you can select whether the the tax should be based on the delivery or billing address of the customer. If you want to apply an ecotax to products, enable the option Use ecotax.
If you make any changes to the options don't forget to click on the Save button.
For screenshots and some more details you can also check out the tutorial on how to manage taxes in PrestaShop 1.5-1.6.