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Quick start

The shortest path from a freshly installed extension to a store charging correct tax. Allow about twenty minutes, plus a test order.

You will need your TaxCloud credentials and your origin address — see Before you begin if you do not have them yet.

1. Set your origin address

Stores → Configuration → Sales → Shipping Settings → Origin

Enter the address you ship from, in full, including the ZIP+4.

The Origin fieldset in Shipping Settings, with country, state, a full ZIP+4, city and street address filled in

This is where many setups go wrong. A five-digit ZIP can span more than one tax jurisdiction, and a missing or malformed one stops the tax lookup happening at all. Look yours up with the USPS ZIP Code lookup if you are not sure.

Save the configuration.

2. Enter your credentials

Stores → Configuration → Sales → Tax → TaxCloud Settings

Leave Enabled set to Disable for now — you want credentials confirmed before anything reaches your storefront.

Set API Type, then fill in the fields it reveals:

  • V3 REST — paste your Connection ID. Leave API Key blank unless you generated one under Developer → API in TaxCloud.
  • V1 SOAP (legacy) — enter your API ID and API Key.

TaxCloud Settings showing Enabled, Logging, Verify Address, API Type set to V3 REST, and the Connection ID field

Save the configuration.

3. Check the credentials work

Click Test Connection, on the Verify Credentials row.

The Verify Credentials row, with the Test Connection button and a green "Connection successful" message

A green confirmation means TaxCloud accepted them and you can carry on. Anything else, fix it now — the rest of the setup will not work until this passes:

What you see What it means
TaxCloud rejected the credentials The values are wrong. Re-copy them from your dashboard.
TaxCloud does not recognise the Connection ID Right format, wrong connection — check Integrations → Custom API.
Could not reach TaxCloud Not a credentials problem. Your server cannot get out to TaxCloud; ask your host about outbound HTTPS.

4. Set your tax codes

Still in TaxCloud Settings:

Default TIC — what most of your catalogue is. Leave it at 00000 (general goods and services) if you sell ordinary taxable items; change it if your catalogue is mostly one special category, such as clothing or groceries. Start typing what you sell and pick from the suggestions.

Shipping TIC — 11010 if you pass through postage only, 11000 if your shipping charge includes handling.

A TIC tells TaxCloud what kind of thing you are selling, which is what decides how each state taxes it. These two are the fallbacks; individual products can override them, which is step 7.

5. Turn it on

Set Enabled to Enable and save.

Your storefront is now calculating tax through TaxCloud.

Try it on one store view first

Every setting can be set per store view. If you run several stores, switch the Store View selector to one of them, enable TaxCloud there, and leave the others as they were until you are happy. See Multi-store setups.

6. Place a test order

Add something to the cart, check out to a real US address, and confirm the tax looks right. Then complete the order and check it appears in your TaxCloud dashboard with the right amount.

Full walkthrough, including refunds: Testing your setup.

Tax does not appear on the cart page at first

Until a shopper has entered a shipping address, there is nothing to calculate tax from. Tax appears once they reach checkout and give an address.

7. Set TICs on your products

The Default TIC covers everything you have not been specific about. Anything taxed differently — clothing, food, digital goods, prescription items — needs its own code.

You do not have to do this product by product. A TIC set on a category applies to everything in it, and the product grid lets you set many at once. See Assigning TICs.

This is the step that decides whether your tax is right

Everything up to here just connects the plumbing. The TIC is what tells TaxCloud what you are selling. A store where every product is treated as general goods will over-collect on exempt items and under-collect on some special ones.

8. Before you go live

  • Origin address entered with ZIP+4
  • Credentials verified
  • Default TIC and Shipping TIC set
  • TICs assigned to products and categories that need them
  • A test order placed and checked against the TaxCloud dashboard
  • A test refund checked against the TaxCloud dashboard
  • Your TaxCloud connection switched from test to production, if you were using a test one
  • Decided when orders should be reported — Capture in TaxCloud
  • Decided what happens if TaxCloud is unreachable — Fallback to Magento Tax Rates

What next