AbanteCart/TaxJar Integration extension

v1.3.0 Rev 13 July 2021

Overview

TaxJar Integration helps you calculate tax rates by using TaxJar service, also transmits the order to TaxJar for filing returns and accumulating sales to determine if Nexus has been reached.
Features included:
• Tax rate calculation.
• Transmit orders to TaxJar Service.
• Customer tax exempt.

AbanteCart v1.3.0 use TaxJar Integration extension v1.3.0. Tested up to PHP 8.0.
AbanteCart v1.2.16 use TaxJar Integration extension v1.2.16. Tested up to PHP 7.4.
AbanteCart v1.2.15 use TaxJar Integration extension v1.2.15.

Notes: If you are using AbantCart version prior to 1.2.15 and want to add TaxJar, contact us first.
Important Notes:
• The tax rate calculation is made only when customer arrives at checkout/confirm or checkout/guest_step_3, default Fast Checkout (AbanteCart v1.2.16) and our Quick Checkout page to reduce the number of API calls. Recalculation will be done if customer adds a new product, updates the current product quantity or changes the zip code.
• You need to disable standard taxes. Check System -> Localization -> Tax Class.
• Subtotal calculation should precede TaxJar Integration Total calculation order. Check this in extensions total settings.
• You need to turn OFF System -> Settings -> Checkout -> Display Prices with Tax.
• You need to turn OFF Tax class in shipping extensions.
Recommendation: Use our Sales By State Report. It is an ideal way to keep track of your potential economic nexus by Remote or Online Sellers. Economic nexus does have thresholds that trigger your requirement to collect and remit taxes.
Important Notes:
1. Starting with extension v1.2.15 we have adopted a license key for all our extensions. Your extension will only work if you have a validated license key entered for the location where your extension is installed. Refer to here for more details on how license keys work.
2. AbanteCart v1.2.14 is extremely problematic. Install Patch files or better to update to 1.2.15.

Getting Started

Before you can start using TaxJar Integration in AbanteCart, you need to have an account with TaxJar and your company setup. Click here to create a new account and follow the instructions here for the steps. And you can directly setup the extension if you already have a Live API Token.

Obtain TaxJar API Token

Register

1. Enter your email address.
2. Enter your desired password.
3. Click Sign Up.

First Step

1. Copy the live API Token into field no 5 in the setup page below.
2. Enter the Contact Information.
3. Click Continue.

Second Step


1. Click Manage to manage Nexus Address.

Last Step

1. Copy the live API Token into field no 6 in the setup page below.

Important Notes: number 2 is available for TaxJar PRO account only.

2. Copy the Sandbox API Token into field no 5 in the setup page below.
3. Click the edit button to edit your business profile where it will be used as the primary address.
4. Click this button if you want to add new state with Nexus.

Setup

Once you have installed the integration you will see this page – or find it in your Admin Panel Extensions > TaxJar integration, select the Edit link on the far right side.

1. Turn ON to use the extension.

Important Notes: If you already have an account in our support system and you are using multiple WHY2 extensions, you do NOT need to create another account in the support system.

2. Enter your WHY2 license code. Refer to How to obtain license code section for more information.
3. Sandbox Mode: Turn ON to use sandbox mode. This mode is only available for TaxJar PLUS account.
4. Sandbox API Token: Enter the sandbox API Token that was provided by TaxJar. This is only available for TaxJar Plus account. Sandbox mode must be turned ON prior using the mode.
5. API Token: Enter the Live API Token that was provided by TaxJar.
6. Tax Name: Enter the desired tax name (label name) to be shown to the customer in the totals section.
7. Street Address: Enter your street address.
8. City: Enter your City name.
9. State Code: Enter your (two letters) State code.
10. ZIP/Postal code: Enter your ZIP/Postal Code.
11. Country Code: Enter your (two letters) Country code.
12. Enable TaxJar tax calculations: If enabled, the extension will calculate all sales tax for your store.

Important notes: No 13-15 will be shown only if you turned ON Enable TaxJar tax calculations and after you SAVE the settings, the extension will download the nexus addresses that you have set in TaxJar dashboard, and generate fallback tax rate field for each of nexus address. The fallback tax rate will be used to calculate tax rate in every other page than checkout/confirm or checkout/guest_step_3, default Fast Checkout (AbanteCart v1.2.16) and our Quick Checkout page.

13. Sync Nexus Addresses: Click this to sync TaxJar Nexus addresses into your cart. You only need to click this if you add new or remove Nexus address and wait for about 5 minutes after adding the new or remove Nexus address.
14. Manage Nexus Locations: Click this to go to TaxJar Nexus addresses management.
15. Fallback tax rate for (state code): This field is generated according to your Nexus address(es). So if you have 2 Nexus address, then it will show 2 fields. And this field value will be used as the fallback tax rate calculation for checkout/cart page.
16. Enable export orders to TaxJar: If enabled, the extension will export your orders to TaxJar for reporting.

Important notes: No 17-22 will be shown only if you enable export orders to TaxJar and after you SAVE the settings.

17. Transmit order to TaxJar: If turned ON, the order will be transmitted at specified order status.
18. Transmit on order status: If the order status is the same as this order status, the order will be transmitted to TaxJar.
19. Delete TaxJar order: If turned ON, the order will be deleted at specified order status.
20. Delete on order status: If the order status is the same as this order status, the order on TaxJar will be deleted.
21. Refund TaxJar order: If turned ON, the order will set to refund at specified order status.
22. Refund on order status: If the order status is the same as this order status, the order on TaxJar will set to refund.
23. Debug API response: Turn ON if you want to get the API response for debugging purpose. The API response will be written to System -> Logs -> Error Logs.
24. Run Order: Leave it blank if you don’t want to set the sort order.
25. Test Connection: Click this button to test if the API Token is set correctly and able to connect to TaxJar. You need to enter the required fields prior testing the connection.
26. SAVE – do this prior to testing.
27. Click this to remove your current settings.

Important notes: In order to have your order transmitted to TaxJar when you update the order status via the order grid, you have to make sure that the order status is the same with your settings.

Adding taxcode to each product

On Admin dashboard – Catalog > Products – click on the edit icon for one product, click on the TaxJar integration tab

Notes: You may use 11111 as the product code if TaxJar category type doesn’t suit your category. If you leave the product tax code empty, the extension will use 11111 as the default tax code and products will be fully taxable.

Next – find the correct tax code for your product. If you do not already know it, click on the Find Tax Code button to be taken to TaxJar codes.

Once you find the desired code, copy only the code number, then paste it into your product page. Save the page.

Handling sales tax exempt customers

Notes: The TaxJar customer creation only works in Live mode. If you use Sandbox mode, you will get an error message.

If you have exempt customers you will have already set up your AbanteCart customer groups and established your requirement parameters for the exemption(s). When customer register in your store or in profile edit page he can set Entity/Use Code to claim exempt. However, it will work only after store administrator manually review it and set status to Approved.

On Admin dashboard – Sales Customers – click on the edit icon for customer, click on customer details. Click on the TaxJar integration tab.

 

1. Exemption status – is Pending, Approved, or Declined. Only Approved, as selected by the Administrator, will exempt customer from taxes.
2. Exemption number – recommended you input customer info for qualified exemption status.
3. Entity/Use Code – select on of the TaxJar exemption codes from the dropdown list.
4. SAVE the page.

Administrator can review or add manually Exemption Number or Entity/Use Code in Sales > Customers > Edit Customer page > TaxJar integration tab. If you exempt customers from tax with exemption numbers or exemption type, keep organized records for all exempt purchases.

Extension Updater

To assist you in always having the most current and correct version of your extension we have added a feature to notify you in the message section of your admin panel. And directly allow you to update this extension.

After you have installed TaxJar Integration v1.2.15 or v1.2.16 or higher the feature will be available.

For details on how the Extension Updater works click here.

For information on support and updates fees check our KB here.

Changelog

v1.3.0

2021 – 07 – 13

Support AbanteCart version 1.2.16.

v1.2.16

2021 – 07 – 13

Support AbanteCart version 1.2.16.

v1.2.15

2021 – 07 – 13

Initial Release.