The Taxes tab on Payment settings is where you set up the taxes that apply to your bookings, items, and gift cards. Each tax rule is its own configuration with a calculation method, an application type (exclusive or inclusive), and item-level scoping.
Getting started
Navigate to Purchases > Payment settings and pick the Taxes tab.
How it works
Each tax is a rule with its own value type, amount, application mode, and scoping. You can create as many taxes as your jurisdiction needs. Multiple active taxes all stack on every qualifying transaction, with compound taxes layering on top of the subtotal plus other taxes.
Creating or editing a tax happens inline on this tab — there's no modal. Click Create new tax to expand the form, fill in the three sections (Tax details, Tax application, Tax calculation), and click Create at the bottom.
Step-by-step guide
Create a new tax
Click Create new tax at the top of the tab. The inline form expands.
Tax details section
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | Display name (e.g., "Sales tax", "VAT") |
| Tax number | No | Optional reference number (e.g., your tax registration number) |
| Value type | Yes | How the tax is calculated. See the value type breakdown below |
| Tax amount | Yes | Numeric input. Label changes to "Percentage amount (%)" when value type is percentage of subtotal |
| Decimal precision (0-5) | Conditional | Renders only for percentage value types. Sets how many decimal places the percentage uses |
The five Value type options each calculate the tax differently. The recommended option is the percentage-per-line-item type, which surfaces a "(Recommended)" badge.
| Value type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fixed per transaction | Applies a fixed tax amount once per transaction. Not itemized in line-item reporting |
| Fixed per unit quantity | Applies a fixed tax per unit of quantity. For bookings, quantity is group size. Reflected in line-item reporting |
| Percentage of subtotal | Applies a percentage to the total transaction amount. Not itemized in line-item reporting |
| Fixed per line item | Applies a fixed tax to each line item individually. Reflected in line-item reporting |
| Percentage per line item (Recommended) | Applies a percentage to each line item individually. Reflected in line-item reporting |
Help text appears under the Value type dropdown explaining the picked option, so you don't have to memorize them.
Tax application section
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Apply tax to all taxable purchases (excludes gift cards) | When on, the tax applies to every taxable line item. Disabled for Fixed per transaction and Percentage of subtotal value types — those scope at the transaction level, not the line level |
| Taxable items | Multi-select dropdown of every event and item. Only renders when the Apply tax to all toggle is off. Add all games and Add all items quick-buttons populate the field |
Tax calculation section
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tax application type | Yes | Exclusive – Tax is added on top of item prices or Inclusive – Tax is included in item prices |
| Show tax as a line item on customer-facing invoices and checkout | No | Renders only when Inclusive is picked. When on, the tax is broken out as a line item on the customer-facing invoice instead of being silent |
| This is a compound tax (calculated on top of the subtotal and any other tax totals) | No | Compound taxes layer on top of the subtotal plus other taxes |
| This tax is optional (will not be automatically applied to transactions) | No | When on, the tax is not applied automatically. Your team adds it manually per-transaction |
| Apply tax after promotions and discounts | No | When on, the tax base is the post-discount amount. When off, the tax base is the pre-discount amount |
Click Create to save the tax, or Cancel to discard the form.
Edit, deactivate, or delete a tax
Click the three-dot menu in the Actions column on the existing tax's row.
| Action | When | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Edit tax | Always | Reopens the inline form with the current values prefilled. Click Update to save |
| Activate tax | Currently inactive | Re-enables the tax for new transactions |
| Deactivate tax | Currently active | Stops the tax from applying to new transactions. Past transactions are unaffected |
| Delete tax | Always | Removes the tax permanently |
Reference
Top-of-tab controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Create new tax | Expands the inline form |
Tax form sections
| Section | Fields |
|---|---|
| Tax details | Title, Tax number, Value type, Tax amount, Decimal precision |
| Tax application | Apply tax to all taxable purchases, Taxable items |
| Tax calculation | Tax application type, Show tax as a line item, Compound, Optional, Apply after promotions and discounts |
Value type options
| Option | Reporting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed per transaction | Not itemized | One fixed amount per transaction |
| Fixed per unit quantity | Itemized | Fixed per unit; group size on bookings |
| Percentage of subtotal | Not itemized | Percentage of transaction total |
| Fixed per line item | Itemized | Fixed per line |
| Percentage per line item (Recommended) | Itemized | Percentage per line |
Tax application type options
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Exclusive – Tax is added on top of item prices | Customer sees price + tax separately |
| Inclusive – Tax is included in item prices | Tax is baked into the displayed price |
Apply-to-all toggle
| Toggle state | Effect |
|---|---|
| On | Tax applies to every taxable line item. Gift cards are always excluded |
| Off | Taxable items dropdown appears for line-level scoping, with Add all games and Add all items quick-buttons |
Tax flags
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
| Compound | Calculates on top of the subtotal plus other taxes |
| Optional | Not applied automatically; staff must add per-transaction |
| Apply after promotions and discounts | Tax base uses post-discount amount |
| Show tax as a line item (Inclusive only) | Breaks out the included tax on the invoice |
Existing taxes table
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Title | Tax name with optional #tax_number underneath |
| Tax application type | Badge: inclusive (info) or exclusive (default) |
| Value type | The picked value type label |
| Amount | Formatted amount with % or currency symbol |
| Applicable to | Badges for games, merchandise, or all purchases, with item tooltips |
| Active | Green check icon when active, red X when inactive |
| Compound | Green check or red X |
| Optional | Green check or red X |
| Applied after discount | Green check or red X |
| Actions | Three-dot dropdown |
Per-row actions
| Action | Notes |
|---|---|
| Edit tax | Opens the inline form prefilled |
| Activate tax | Available when inactive |
| Deactivate tax | Available when active |
| Delete tax | Permanent delete |
Empty state
| State | Copy |
|---|---|
| No taxes | "No taxes have been created." |
Good to know
- Percentage per line item is the recommended value type for most jurisdictions. It calculates the percentage on each line individually, which gives accurate line-item reporting and matches what most tax authorities expect.
- Gift cards are always excluded from "all taxable purchases" scoping. To tax gift cards, you'd need to scope a tax to specific gift card types via the Taxable items field — but this is not a typical pattern (gift cards are usually taxed when redeemed, not when sold).
- Compound taxes are useful for jurisdictions that compute one tax on top of another (e.g., Canada's PST on GST in some provinces). Toggle This is a compound tax to layer it on top.
- Optional taxes are not applied automatically. Your team adds them manually on the Transaction details Taxes/Fees/Tips tab. Use them for situational charges like luxury tax surcharges that only apply on specific orders.
- Inclusive taxes show the same total to the customer but break out the tax component on receipts and invoices. Many countries default to inclusive pricing display (VAT-inclusive prices); use this mode there.
- Show tax as a line item is the trick to making inclusive taxes visible on the invoice. Without it, the customer sees a single total with no tax breakdown.
- Apply tax after promotions and discounts is a calculation-base toggle. The choice changes whether the tax is computed on the original price or the discounted price. Different jurisdictions have different requirements; consult your accountant.
- Multiple active taxes all stack on the same line item. There's no order or precedence beyond the compound flag, which forces a tax to layer on top of the subtotal plus other non-compound taxes.
- The apply-to-all toggle is disabled for transaction-level value types (fixed per transaction, percentage of subtotal). Those types inherently apply at the transaction level, so per-item scoping doesn't make sense.
FAQ
Q: What's the difference between exclusive and inclusive tax?
A: Exclusive is added on top of the displayed price (e.g., $100 + 10% tax = $110). Inclusive is already in the price (e.g., $110 includes $10 tax). The customer pays the same total either way; the difference is how the price displays before checkout.
Q: Can I have multiple taxes on the same item?
A: Yes. All active taxes that match the item apply. Use the Compound flag if a tax should be calculated on top of the subtotal plus other taxes (tax-on-tax).
Q: What does "Apply after promotions and discounts" do?
A: When on, tax is calculated on the discounted price (lower base). When off, tax is calculated on the original price (higher base). Pick whichever your jurisdiction requires.
Q: I created a tax but it's not appearing on transactions. Why?
A: A few possibilities: 1) the tax is inactive — check the Active icon in the table; 2) the tax is optional — it has to be added manually per-transaction; 3) the scoping doesn't match — confirm the line items on the transaction are in the Taxable items list (or Apply to all is on); 4) the value type is fixed per transaction or percentage of subtotal which apply at transaction level, not per line.
Q: How do I tax gift cards?
A: Gift cards are excluded from "all taxable purchases" by design. To tax them, you'd typically tax them at redemption (when the underlying booking or item is taxed) rather than at sale. If you really need to tax at sale, scope a tax to specific gift card types — but consult your accountant first; this is unusual.
Q: What's the right Decimal precision setting?
A: Use the precision your jurisdiction's tax authority specifies. Many taxes use 2 decimals (e.g., 8.25%). Some use 3-4 for compound or specialty taxes. The setting only matters for percentage value types.
Q: Can I have a tax that only applies on weekends or specific dates?
A: Not at the tax-rule level. Date and day-of-week scoping isn't a tax feature today. The closest workaround is to mark the tax Optional and have your team add it manually only on the relevant transactions.
Q: Why is the Amount field labeled "Percentage amount (%)" sometimes and currency-prefixed other times?
A: The label adapts to the picked value type. Percentage value types use the percent label; fixed value types use the currency label. The form re-renders the right input style as you change the value type.
Q: Can I edit a tax after transactions have used it?
A: Yes. Edits only affect new transactions going forward. Past transactions keep the tax values they had at the time of payment.