Configure tax rates by region

Tax in commerce is not glamorous, but getting it wrong gets you fined. SellStein handles most of it automatically. Here's the map.

Settings → Tax

The Tax page is split into three sections:

• Automatic tax. Flip the switch. We pull rates per country/state/postcode from a regularly updated database (TaxJar / Avalara fallback) and apply them at checkout. Works in 130+ countries
• Manual overrides. For the cases automatic gets wrong: a tax-exempt zone, a special category like books in Germany (7% reduced VAT), a charity exemption
• Tax IDs. Your VAT number, EIN, GST number, ABN, etc. Required for B2B reverse charge in the EU and for showing on invoices

EU VAT

For EU sellers, VAT is not optional past €10,000 cross-border revenue per year (the OSS threshold). Once you cross it, you charge VAT at the *buyer's* rate, not yours. Automatic tax handles this. You file a single OSS return quarterly through your home country's tax portal.

If you sell to a VAT-registered business in another EU country, the reverse charge applies. You don't charge VAT, the buyer self-reports. We auto-detect this when they enter a valid VAT number at checkout (verified against VIES in real time).

US sales tax

Sales tax in the US is per-state, per-city, sometimes per-district. You only owe it in states where you have nexus. Physical presence, or economic nexus (typically $100k revenue or 200 transactions/year per state). Automatic tax handles the calculation. Registering in each nexus state is on you. We don't file returns.

Tips for the corner cases

• Charging digital products (downloads, courses, SaaS) differs by country. Automatic tax handles it but double-check the first month's invoice
• Switzerland is not in the EU. Different rules entirely
• Brexit means UK is now its own VAT regime. We treat it as such; legacy stores from 2020 may need a quick migration
• B2C across borders gets messy. If you're not sure, contact us. We'll review your setup before tax season

Per-product tax codes

Some products are taxed at reduced rates (books, food, children's clothing). Edit any product → Tax → choose a tax code. The automatic engine uses the code instead of the default rate. Codes are pre-loaded for the common ones; ask if you need a custom code added.