Recommended Tax Configuration for EU stores
J2Commerce (formerly known as J2Store)
This guide will walk you through the configuration of tax in J2Commerce for EU stores. This is an example configuration for stores in Europe. For detailed information on tax, please consult an expert.
Important: No guarantee is offered with respect to any of the information given here. Please contact an expert before you take any decisions about tax matters.
NOTE: The example assumes you have a store in Germany and you charge 19% tax on the goods. All customers coming originating from Germany are charged with 19 % of tax.
Step 1 : Create a geozone for base rates (home country tax)
Go to Components > J2Commerce > Localization -> Geozones -> New


Geozone Name: Base rates
Country : Germany
Zones : All
Step 2: Create a tax rate
Go to Localization -> Tax Rates -> New


Name : VAT
Tax Percent : 19
Geozone : Base rates
Status: Enabled
Step 3: Create a tax profile and rules
Go to Localization -> Tax Profiles -> New


Name: Base Tax Profile
Enabled: Yes
Tax rules
Click Add
Rate: VAT
Associated Address: Shipping
Step 4: Configure tax settings
Go to Setup -> Configuration -> Tax

Prices Entered with Tax: Yes, I will enter prices with tax
Calculate tax based on: Shipping address
Default Customer address: Store address
Display prices on product pages: Including tax
Display prices in cart / checkout: Including tax
Apply discounts: After tax
Save.
Step 5: Adding the tax profile to a product
J2Commerce uses Joomla! articles as products. So, go to Article Manager and create a New Article / Product (If you use any other catalog source like Zoo or Sebold, you should head there).
Product creation steps are explained under the topic Products.
Here, let us just see how to choose the tax profile:
Go to J2Commerce (or J2Store Cart) tab > General tab
Tax Profile Base tax profile

IMPORTANT: If you do not choose the tax profile, then tax will not apply in the storefront.
Step 6: Selling in multiple countries with multiple tax rates
If you are selling your products to other countries in Europe, then there are three scenarios
Charge the same VAT rate for customers from certain countries. In this case, you will just have to open the Base Geozone and add the countries / zones to which you want to charge 19%. Then all customers from all those countries will be charged with the 19% tax rate.
Charge a different VAT rate for customers from certain countries. Let us say you want to charge 12% tax for customers from Switzerland and France. Create a new Geozone and include Switzerland and France. Create a new tax rate and set the tax percent to 12%. Go to Components > J2Commerce > Localization > Tax Profiles > Open Base tax profiles. Under Tax rules, click add, choose your New tax rate, and associate it with the Shipping address. Save. Now, customers from Switzerland and France will be charged 12 % of tax instead of your base rate of 19%.
Video Tutorial:
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