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Tax Management

Complete guide to setting up and managing taxes in SSP Manager.

Impact on Ordering

Tax configuration directly affects pricing displayed to guests and servers. Taxes are calculated in real-time and shown in the tax preview before orders are placed. Accurate tax setup ensures correct pricing on receipts and proper tax collection.

Overview​

SSP Manager's tax system helps you:

  • Automatically calculate taxes on all orders
  • Set different tax rates for different items or categories
  • Handle multiple tax types (sales tax, VAT, GST, PST, service charges)
  • Manage exemptions for tax-exempt items
  • Use predefined taxes from our tax library
  • Create custom taxes for special requirements
  • Configure composition behavior (stackable, exclusive, compound)
  • Get warned automatically when your tax setup has a problem, and run the full diagnostics to troubleshoot
  • Export tax data for accounting and compliance

How Taxes Work​

SSP Manager applies taxes using a priority-based rule system:

Rule Priority (Lower number = Higher priority)
   ↓
1. Item-Specific Rules (most specific)
   ↓
2. Category Rules
   ↓
3. Location Rules
   ↓
4. Global Rules (least specific)

When multiple rules could apply to an item, the rule with the lowest priority number takes precedence. Rules can also override other rules explicitly.

Accessing Tax Management​

Navigation Prerequisite

You must first navigate to a specific restaurant location to access Tax Management. If you signed up as a single restaurant, you'll land directly at your location. For restaurant groups/chains, select your location from the Group/Chain Dashboard first.

Navigation Path: [Your Location] → Settings → Taxes

Step-by-Step Access​

  1. Navigate to your restaurant location (if using a Group/Chain, select it from the dashboard)
  2. In the sidebar, click Settings to expand the settings menu
  3. Click Taxes

Required Permission: Manager role

Adding Taxes to Your Location​

The Taxes page is divided into two main sections:

  • Configured Taxes for [Your Location] — The top table showing taxes currently applied to your location
  • Predefined Taxes — A searchable library of standard taxes below, with a Filter by Area... search box

There are two ways to add taxes to a location:

  1. Predefined Taxes — Search for your area in the Predefined Taxes list and click Add to location to quickly add a standard tax
  2. Create Custom Tax — Click the Create Custom Tax button (at the bottom of the page) and manually enter all tax details (name, rate, region, etc.)

Using Predefined Taxes​

SSP Manager includes a library of predefined taxes organized by country and region. This is the fastest way to add standard taxes.

To add a predefined tax:

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Scroll down to the Predefined Taxes section
  3. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find taxes for your country or region
  4. Browse the results table, which shows: ID, Country, Region, Tax Name, Short Name, Rate, and Included status
  5. Click the Add to location button in the Action column next to the tax you need

The tax is added to your location immediately and appears in the Configured Taxes table above.

Available Predefined Taxes Include:

  • US State and Local Sales Taxes
  • Canadian GST, PST, HST by province
  • UK VAT rates
  • EU VAT by country
  • And many more

Creating a Custom Tax​

For special tax requirements not covered by predefined taxes, you can create your own:

  1. On the Taxes page, click the Create Custom Tax button (located in the bottom right)
  2. A Create Custom Tax dialog opens with the following fields:
    • Tax Name — Full tax name (e.g., "City Tourism Tax")
    • Short Name — Abbreviation shown on receipts (e.g., "CTT")
    • Tax Rate in percentage — Tax percentage (e.g., 5 for 5%). Accepts up to 3 decimal places (e.g., 9.975)
    • Country — Dropdown showing "United States"
    • Region — Dropdown showing "Massachusetts"
    • Tax Included — Toggle switch; enable if tax is already included in listed prices (off by default)
  3. Click the Create Tax button inside the dialog to save

The new tax appears in the Configured Taxes table immediately. You can then use the tax management tools to control when and where it applies.

Configured Taxes Table​

The Configured Taxes for [Your Location] table at the top of the page shows each tax with these columns:

ColumnDescription
Tax NameCustom name or standard tax name
Short NameAbbreviation (or "N/A")
RateCustom rate or standard rate
TypeBadge showing "Custom", "Predefined", or "User Defined"
ActiveToggle switch to activate/deactivate the tax
Included in priceGreen (YES) or red (NO) indicator
Composition BehaviorStackable, Exclusive, or Compound
Tax RulesManage button with settings icon to access tax rule management
ActionsThree-dot menu (⋯) with edit and delete options

Tax included in the price​

The Included in price column tells you how a tax reaches the guest:

  • YES — the tax is already inside your listed prices. A $10.00 dish stays $10.00 on the bill; the tax portion is worked out backwards from that price and shown on the receipt, so the guest pays exactly what the menu says.
  • NO — the tax is added on top. A $10.00 dish with a 5% tax bills at $10.50.

Where the setting comes from:

  • Predefined taxes carry it from the tax catalogue (the Included column in the Predefined Taxes table). It reflects how that jurisdiction's tax is normally quoted and cannot be changed on the location.
  • Custom taxes take it from the Tax Included switch in the Create Custom Tax dialog, at the moment the tax is created.

The setting is fixed once the tax exists: the Edit Tax dialog changes the name, the rate, the registration ID and the composition behavior, not this flag. To move a tax from "added on top" to "included" (or back), create a custom tax with the switch set the way you want it, activate it, and deactivate the old one with its Active toggle.

Managing Tax Rules​

Once a tax is added to your location, you can access the tax rule management interface by clicking the Manage button (with settings icon) in the Tax Rules column of the Configured Taxes table.

To access tax rule management:

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Find the tax in the Configured Taxes table
  3. In the Tax Rules column, click the Manage button (settings icon) on the tax's row
  4. This opens the tax rule management interface where you can configure when and how the tax applies

Creating Tax Rules​

Tax rules define when and where taxes apply. Each tax can have multiple rules that control which items are taxed and under what conditions.

Creating Tax-Exempt Rules​

To make specific items or categories tax-exempt, you can configure exemption rules through the tax management interface.

Rule Properties​

Tax rules can control various aspects of tax application:

PropertyDescription
ScopeWhere rule applies: Global, Location, Category, or Item
PriorityRule precedence (lower number = higher priority)
CategoryMenu category when applying to specific categories
ItemSpecific menu item when applying to individual items
ExemptWhether items matching the rule are tax-exempt
Date RangeWhen the rule is active
Quantity LimitsMinimum and maximum quantities for rule application
Rule OverridesWhich other rules this rule explicitly overrides

Editing an Existing Tax​

To change the settings of a tax at your location:

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Find the tax in the Configured Taxes table
  3. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the right side of the tax row
  4. Select Edit Tax from the dropdown menu
  5. The Edit Tax dialog opens with these fields:
    • Registration ID — Your business tax registration number
    • Custom Tax Name — Override the standard tax name for this location
    • Custom Rate — Override the standard rate for this location
    • Composition Behavior — Choose between Stackable, Exclusive, or Compound
  6. Click Apply to save your changes
nota

When changing the tax name or rate, a confirmation dialog will appear warning that this overrides the standard configuration and may affect reports and invoices. Click Yes, Proceed to confirm.

Deleting a Tax​

To remove a tax from your location:

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Find the tax in the Configured Taxes table
  3. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the right side of the tax row
  4. Select Remove Tax from the dropdown menu
  5. A confirmation dialog appears: "Do you want to remove this tax from this location?"
  6. Click Remove to confirm, or Cancel to keep the tax
aviso

Removing a tax from your location also removes all associated tax configurations. This cannot be undone. Historical transactions are not affected.

Configuring Location Taxes​

Once a tax is added to your location, you can configure how it behaves.

Location Tax Settings​

For each tax at your location, you can customize:

SettingDescription
ActiveToggle tax on/off
Custom Tax NameOverride the standard name for this location
Custom RateOverride the standard rate for this location
Tax Registration IDYour business tax registration number
Composition BehaviorHow tax interacts with other taxes (set via the Edit Tax dialog)

Composition Behavior​

Composition behavior is configured in the Edit Tax dialog (three-dot menu → Edit Tax). It controls how multiple taxes interact:

Stackable (Default)​

The tax is added alongside other applicable taxes, calculated independently on the subtotal.

Item: $100.00
State Tax (5%): $5.00
City Tax (3%): $3.00
Total Tax: $8.00
Total: $108.00

Exclusive​

The tax overrides all other taxes when applied, preventing other taxes from being calculated.

Item: $100.00
Special Event Tax (10%, Exclusive): $10.00
(State and City taxes NOT applied)
Total: $110.00

Compound​

The tax is calculated on the subtotal plus any prior compound taxes, compounding the tax amount.

Item: $100.00
Federal GST (5%): $5.00
Provincial PST (7% on $105): $7.35
Total Tax: $12.35
Total: $112.35

Tax Preview​

Each menu item includes a Tax Preview that shows exactly how taxes will be calculated.

What Tax Preview Shows​

  • Total Tax Amount: Combined tax for the item
  • Tax Components: Breakdown of each tax applied
    • Tax name
    • Tax rate
    • Tax amount
    • Exempt status
  • Rule Snapshots: Which rules were applied and why

Viewing Tax Preview​

Tax preview is available:

  • In Menu Management when editing items
  • In Check Preview when building orders
  • On receipts (itemized or combined, based on settings)

Tax Diagnostics​

SSP Manager checks your tax setup for you. Every time you open the taxes page, and again after you change one of your taxes, it runs the diagnostics in the background. You need permission to view tax diagnostics to see the results.

When something needs attention​

If the check finds a problem, a banner appears above the Run Tax Diagnostics button. It quotes the most important finding in full — for example Item X has no tax applied — and adds · and 2 more when there are others. The banner is red when there is at least one error and yellow when there are only warnings; when there are both, the banner leads with an error.

Click the banner to open the full results. When everything is in order, no banner appears.

Take the banner seriously

An error here usually means some orders are being charged the wrong tax, or none at all. Fix it before your next service.

The full results​

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Click the banner, or the Run Tax Diagnostics button (located between the Configured Taxes table and the Predefined Taxes section)
  3. A Tax Diagnostics dialog opens showing a table of results
  4. Use the filter dropdown to narrow results: Only Warnings, Only Errors, or Show All — each shows how many results it holds
  5. Review the Status and Message columns:
    • OK (green): Configuration is correct
    • Warning (yellow): Potential issues to review
    • Error (red): Problems requiring attention

Common Diagnostic Messages​

StatusIssueResolution
WarningOverlapping rules with same priorityAdjust priority numbers
WarningRule with no matching itemsCheck category/item selection
ErrorCircular rule overrideRemove circular override reference
ErrorInvalid date rangeFix start/end dates

Tax Export​

Export your tax data for accounting software and tax filing.

Exporting Tax Data​

  1. Go to Settings → Taxes
  2. Click Export
  3. Select the date range
  4. Choose export format:
    • CSV: For spreadsheet software and imports
    • PDF: For printing and records
    • Excel: For detailed analysis
  5. Click Download

Export Contents​

The tax export includes:

  • Total taxable sales by tax type
  • Total tax collected by tax type
  • Tax-exempt sales
  • Transaction count
  • Breakdown by category (if applicable)

Real-World Setup Examples​

Example 1: California Restaurant​

Location: San Francisco, CA

Setup:

  1. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find "California" taxes in the Predefined Taxes section
  2. Click Add to location next to "California State Tax" (7.25%)
  3. Search for "San Francisco" and click Add to location next to the local tax (1.25%). If the local tax is not in the predefined list, click Create Custom Tax → Tax Name: "SF Local Tax", Short Name: "SF", Tax Rate in percentage: 1.25 → click Create Tax

Result:

  • Food and beverages: 8.50% (state + local)

Example 2: Ontario Restaurant​

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Setup:

  1. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find "Ontario" taxes
  2. Click Add to location next to "Ontario HST" (13%)
  3. To exempt groceries: click Manage on the HST row to access tax rule management → configure exemption rules for grocery categories

Result:

  • Prepared meals: 13% HST
  • Packaged groceries: 0% (exempt)

Example 3: UK Café​

Location: London, UK

Setup:

  1. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find "UK" taxes
  2. Click Add to location next to "UK Standard VAT" (20%)
  3. If a reduced VAT rate is not in the predefined list, click Create Custom Tax → Tax Name: "Reduced VAT", Short Name: "RVAT", Tax Rate in percentage: 5, Country: "UK" → Create Tax
  4. Use the Manage buttons to configure appropriate tax rules for each tax type

Result:

  • Hot food/drinks: 20%
  • Cold takeaway: 5% (if reduced VAT configured)

Example 4: Quebec Restaurant (GST + QST)​

Location: Montreal, Quebec

Setup:

  1. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find "Quebec" taxes
  2. Click Add to location next to "GST" (5%) and "QST" (9.975%). If not available as predefined taxes, click Create Custom Tax for each — Tax Name: "GST", Tax Rate in percentage: 5, Country: "Canada", Region: "Quebec"; then Tax Name: "QST", Tax Rate in percentage: 9.975, Country: "Canada", Region: "Quebec"
  3. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the QST row → Edit Tax → set Composition Behavior to Compound → click Apply

Result:

  • With stackable: $100 item = $5 GST + $9.975 QST = $114.975
  • With compound QST: $100 item = $5 GST + $10.47 QST = $115.47

Example 5: British Columbia (GST + PST)​

Location: Vancouver, BC

Setup:

  1. Use the Filter by Area... search box to find "British Columbia" taxes
  2. Click Add to location next to "GST" (5%) and "PST" (7%). If not available as predefined taxes, click Create Custom Tax for each
  3. If PST should compound on GST: three-dot menu (⋯) on PST row → Edit Tax → set Composition Behavior to Compound → Apply

Result:

  • With stackable: $100 item = $5 GST + $7 PST = $112.00
  • With compound PST: $100 item = $5 GST + $7.35 PST = $112.35

Best Practices​

Tax Setup Organization​

  • Use predefined taxes when available for your area
  • Use Create Custom Tax as a fallback when predefined taxes are not available
  • Use clear naming: "CA State Tax", "NYC Local Tax", "Alcohol Surcharge"
  • Set appropriate priorities: Lower numbers for more specific rules
  • Group related taxes: Use consistent priority ranges (e.g., 1-10 for exemptions, 50-60 for category rules)

Testing Your Configuration​

  • Create test orders before going live
  • Check the diagnostics banner on the taxes page — no banner means no problems were found
  • Check Tax Preview on representative items
  • Review receipts for correct tax display

Ongoing Maintenance​

  • Review quarterly: Tax rates change
  • Monitor tax authority updates: Subscribe to notifications
  • Audit monthly: Compare collected vs. expected
  • Keep records: Download exports regularly

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to set up taxes for each location?​

Yes. Each location can have different tax rates based on its jurisdiction. Taxes are configured per-location.

Can I change tax rates after items are sold?​

You can update tax rates, but historical transactions keep their original tax amounts. New orders will use the updated rates.

What happens if I forget to add a tax rule?​

Orders will proceed with only the applicable taxes. Add missing rules promptly and review affected transactions.

Can customers see the tax breakdown?​

Yes. Receipts can show itemized taxes or a combined total based on your receipt settings.

How do I handle tax on discounts?​

Tax is calculated on the discounted price, not the original price. This happens automatically.

What about tax on tips and service charges?​

Tips are typically not taxed. Service charges may be taxable depending on jurisdiction. Configure taxes as needed for your jurisdiction.

How do rule priorities work?​

Lower priority numbers take precedence. If two rules could apply and have the same priority, the more specific scope (Item > Category > Location > Global) takes precedence.

Troubleshooting​

Wrong Tax Amount​

  1. Use Run Tax Diagnostics to see applied rules
  2. Check rule priorities (lower = higher precedence)
  3. Verify tax rates are correct
  4. Review composition behavior settings

Tax Not Applying​

  1. Confirm tax is Active (toggle switch on)
  2. Check rule scope matches item/category
  3. Verify tax is properly added to your location
  4. Check date range (if set) is current

Duplicate Taxes​

  1. Review all rules for the tax using Manage
  2. Check for overlapping scope
  3. Remove duplicates using the three-dot menu → Remove Tax
  4. Use Run Tax Diagnostics to identify conflicts

Getting Help​

Need assistance with tax setup?

Tax Compliance

SSP Manager helps you calculate and collect taxes, but you're responsible for ensuring compliance with local tax laws. Consult a tax professional for specific guidance.

Keep your taxes accurate and compliant with SSP Manager!