TaxCloud

Sales tax rules can be complex and constantly changing. TaxCloud works with your Miva store to calculate sales tax automatically, helping you stay compliant, reduce errors, and save time.

Handling sales tax manually requires you to:

• Stay current with changing tax laws and regulations
• Accurately calculate tax on every order.
• Collect, report, and pay sales taxes.

Using TaxCloud simplifies this process so you can focus on running and growing your store.

How TaxCloud Works

Each product is assigned a Taxability Information Code (TIC) provided by TaxCloud.

When a customer places an order, Miva securely sends the product details, pricing, shipping charges, and destination address to TaxCloud in real time. TaxCloud then calculates the appropriate sales tax based on:

• The product’s assigned TIC

• The origin (ship-from) address

• The customer’s shipping address

• Applicable state and local tax rules

The calculated tax is returned to Miva and displayed to the customer during checkout.

For more information, see Connecting TaxCloud to Miva.

Installation & Setup

1. Install the TaxCloud Module

Navigate to Path: Settings > Modules

In the Modules screen, use the search field to find TaxCloud (you can search for “TaxCloud” or “tax”), then click Install.

2. Configure the module

Navigate to PATH: Settings > Store Settings > Store Details

Scroll to the TaxCloud section of the Store Details page and enter:

• Connection ID (provided by TaxCloud)

• API Key (provided by TaxCloud)

These credentials allow your Miva store to securely communicate with TaxCloud.

Configuration Options

Finalize Taxes When Order Is - Determines when taxes are finalized in TaxCloud.

Available options:

• Created

• Shipped

• Never Automatically Finalize Taxes

In most cases, merchants choose Created or Shipped.

Important: This setting can affect reporting. For example, if an order is placed at the end of one month but shipped the following month, and Shipped is selected, the tax may be finalized in the later month. This can cause reporting totals to differ between systems.

Carefully consider your reporting workflow before selecting an option.

API Timeout – Controls how long Miva will wait for a response from TaxCloud before timing out.

Fallback Tax Rate – Used if Miva is unable to connect to TaxCloud. In this case, the specified fallback rate is applied to the order.

The appropriate fallback rate depends on your business requirements and compliance strategy.

Ship From Address – Used to determine origin-based tax calculations. Verify that the address fields reflect your fulfillment location.

NOTE: Installing the TaxCloud module automatically creates two Global Tax Codes in Miva:

• Shipping

• Handling

These codes are used when calculating tax on shipping and handling charges.

Assigning Tax Codes to Products

Each product must be assigned a TaxCloud Taxability Information Code (TIC) to ensure accurate tax calculation.

There are two ways to assign TICs to products:

• Individually on the product page

• In bulk using Miva’s Import/Export feature, Add/ Update Products from CSV.

Assigning a TIC to an Individual Product

Navigate to PATH: Catalog > Products > Select a product

1. Locate the product you want to edit, click the product name to open it:

• Browse the product list, or

• Use the Search Products field to find a specific product

2. On the product page, scroll to the TaxCloud section.

3. Enter the appropriate Taxability Information Code (TIC).

TICs are provided by TaxCloud. For a full list, see Taxability Information Codes.

IMPORTANT: It is the Merchant's responsibility to assign the correct Taxability Information Code (TIC) for each product. The TIC identifies the type of product being sold so TaxCloud can apply the appropriate state and local tax rules.

If a TIC is not entered, TaxCloud can still calculate tax; however, the result may not be fully accurate.

Once a valid TIC is assigned, TaxCloud will calculate and return the applicable tax during checkout.

Handling Tax Exempt Customers

Some customers may qualify for tax-exempt status. In these cases, you must configure both the customer account in Miva and the exemption certificate in TaxCloud.

Step 1: Mark the Customer as Tax Exempt in Miva

Navigate to PATH: Miva admin > Customers

Create a new customer or edit an existing customer record, then designate the customer as Tax Exempt.

Optional: Using Business Accounts

If you manage multiple customers under the same organization, you may create a Business Account and assign customers to it.

Marking the Business Account as Tax Exempt will apply that status to all associated customers. This can simplify management when multiple users belong to the same company.

How Tax Exemption Works with TaxCloud

When TaxCloud is enabled:

• Each customer is assigned a TaxCloud Customer ID.

• This ID links the Miva customer record to the customer’s exemption certificate in TaxCloud.

NOTE: Miva supports identifying customers as tax exempt when using TaxCloud. Tax exemptions are validated on a state-by-state basis.

After marking the customer as tax exempt in Miva, create their exemption certificate in TaxCloud.

When TaxCloud is enabled, each customer is assigned a TaxCloud Customer ID. This ID connects the customer record in Miva to their exemption certificate in TaxCloud.

Step 2: Create an Exemption Certificate in TaxCloud

Exemption certificates are managed within your TaxCloud account.

Navigate to PATH: TaxCloud Account Center > Settings > Exemption Certificates

Select Add Exemption Certificate, then choose the customer the certificate applies to.

State-Specific Exemptions

Tax exemptions are validated on a state-by-state basis.

Tax will only be excluded when:

• The customer has a valid exemption certificate in TaxCloud

• The exemption applies to the shipping state of the order

This validation occurs at both the basket and order level, ensuring tax is removed only when the customer is exempt in the destination state.

For example:

• If a customer has an exemption certificate for California but the order ships to Nevada, tax will still be calculated.

• If the shipping state matches a state covered by the certificate, tax will be excluded.

Find Orders That Did Not Sync to TaxCloud

Step 1: Show TaxCloud Columns

In the Orders screen:

1. Click the column selector (+ icon)

2. Scroll to Show / Hide Custom Fields

3. Enable the following fields:

   • TaxCloud Order ID

   • TaxCloud Status

Once enabled, you can view TaxCloud details directly in the order list.

Step 2: Identify Orders That Need Attention

Use the TaxCloud fields to understand the order’s state:

1. TaxCloud Order ID: The unique identifier for the order’s TaxCloud transaction

2. TaxCloud Status: Shows the current state of the order in TaxCloud. Common values include:

• Current → The order is successfully recorded and up to date

• Queued → The order is waiting to be processed

• Error (or message text) → There was an issue syncing the order

If an order has a blank TaxCloud Order ID or shows an error in TaxCloud Status, it likely needs attention.

Step 3: Create an Advanced Search

To quickly find and review orders that may not have synced to TaxCloud:

1. Click Search → Advanced Search

2. Find and set one or more of the following filters:

• TaxCloud Order ID → Select Empty Field

• TaxCloud Status → Set filter to Not Equal To and enter Current.

3. Click Search

4. Click Save Current Search and name it something like “TaxCloud Orders Not Synced”

Managing Tax-Exempt Customers in Bulk

Like Tax Identification Codes (TICs), tax-exempt customers can also be managed using CSV import and export functionality within Miva using Add/Update and Export Customers