# Taxes, store policies and legal pages

Level: Beginner. About 60 minutes. Plans: Not stated by Shopify. Checked against Shopify's documentation on 2026-10-08.

**Short answer:** Register with the tax authority first, then start collecting tax in **Settings** > **Taxes and duties** [3]. Add your return, privacy, terms of service and shipping policies in **Settings** > **Policies**, where Shopify can insert a template you edit [2]. Shopify links published policies in the checkout footer; add them to your store menu too [2].

## Before you start

This guide covers two jobs that sit side by side before launch: charging the right tax, and publishing the policies customers read before they buy.

**Tax is your responsibility.** Shopify doesn't file or remit tax for you unless you use Shopify Tax with automated filing [1]. Shopify suggests you check with a local tax authority or a tax accountant that your rates and filings are correct [1]. Where you must collect tax, you must first register your business with the tax authority [1].

**Which tax service you get depends on your country** [1]:

- United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada: Shopify Tax, or Manual Tax if you set rates yourself.
- Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore: Basic Tax.
- All other countries and regions: Manual Tax.

**Policy templates are English only.** Shopify can generate policy templates only in English, for checkouts set to English. For other languages you write your own [2]. You are responsible for following what you publish, so read every template before you save it [2].

Worked example: a candle shop selling 40 products in the US and Canada, registered for sales tax in one US state.

## Steps

1. **Work out where you must collect tax.** This usually starts with where your business operates and your default location. Register with each state or country where you are liable [3].
2. **Open your tax settings.** From your Shopify admin, go to **Settings** > **Taxes and duties** [3].
3. **Start collecting US sales tax, if you sell in the US.** In the **Manage sales tax collection** section, click **United States**. In **Regional settings**, click **Add new state**, select a state where you are registered, and enter your **Sales tax ID**. Click **Collect taxes** [4]. Click **Collect sales tax** to add more states [4].
4. **Set rates for other regions, if you use Manual Tax.** In the **Tax regions** section, click the region. In **Base taxes**, enter rates or click **Reset to default tax rates**, then click **Save** [5]. Default rates don't update by themselves when the law changes, so click **Reset to default tax rates** again later [5].
5. **Decide whether prices include tax.** By default, Shopify shows prices without tax and adds it at checkout [6]. To include tax, select **Include sales tax in product price and shipping rate** on the **Taxes and duties** page and click **Save** [7]. This is set per market [7].
6. **Decide whether to tax shipping.** In the **Global settings** section, select **Charge tax on shipping rates** and click **Save** [8]. In the US, Canada, the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, shipping is taxed where it applies regardless of this setting [8].
7. **Open your policy settings.** Go to **Settings** > **Policies** [2].
8. **Add each written policy.** In the **Written policies** section, click a policy: return, privacy, terms of service or shipping. Type your text, or click **Insert template** and fill in the placeholders. Click **Save** to publish it [2].
9. **Check the automated privacy settings.** New stores have automated privacy settings turned on by default. On older stores you can turn on automated updates for the privacy policy, cookie banner and data sharing opt-out page [2].
10. **Add a contact page.** Go to **Online Store** > **Pages** and click **Add page**. Enter a title such as "Contact us" and your content, keep **Visible** selected, and click **Save** [9].
11. **Link your policies in the footer.** Go to **Content** > **Menus** and open your footer menu. Click **Add menu item**, enter a **Name**, choose the policy or page in **Search or paste a link**, click **Add**, then **Save menu** [10]. Footer menus show only top-level items [10].

## Check your work

- Open each policy at your domain: `/policies/refund-policy`, `/policies/privacy-policy`, `/policies/terms-of-service` and `/policies/shipping-policy` [2].
- Start a checkout and look for your policy links in the checkout footer. Shopify adds them there once published [2].
- On **Settings** > **Taxes and duties**, confirm each place you are registered is listed as collecting tax [4].
- Add a taxable product to a cart with an address in a registered state and confirm tax appears at checkout [6].

## Common problems

- **Customers see a different total at checkout than on the product page.** Prices exclude tax by default, so tax is added at checkout. Turn on tax-inclusive pricing if you want the final price shown up front [6][7].
- **Tax-inclusive pricing doesn't work for some customers.** Including or excluding tax by country isn't supported with post-purchase upsell apps, and accelerated checkout buttons aren't supported with this feature [7].
- **A product isn't being taxed.** Open the product and make sure **Charge tax on this product** is selected [7].
- **Shipping tax isn't charged under Manual Tax.** Manual Tax doesn't calculate shipping tax automatically. Set shipping tax rates for each region [5].
- **There is no template in my language.** Templates exist only in English. Write your own, and Shopify suggests contacting a local law expert for help [2].
- **Tax rates are out of date.** Manual rates don't update automatically. Click **Reset to default tax rates** to load current defaults [5].

## Sources

1. [Taxes](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
2. [Adding store policies](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/checkout-settings/refund-privacy-tos), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
3. [General tax set-up steps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/general-steps), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
4. [Setting up US taxes](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/us/us-tax-setup), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
5. [Manual tax settings](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/manual-tax-settings), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
6. [Understanding the impact of tax collection on displayed prices](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/tax-collection-impact-on-pricing), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
7. [Include taxes in product prices](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/include-exclude-taxes), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
8. [Shipping tax](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/shipping-tax), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
9. [Adding and editing pages](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/pages), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08
10. [Adding menu items](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/menus-and-links/drop-down-menus/adding-menu-items), Shopify Help Center, accessed 2026-10-08

Source page: https://webmerchants.net/guides/taxes-and-store-policies