API Tax Add-on Configuration

This screen allows you to configure ShopSite to use a third-party add-on application to calculate tax rates for your store. The add-on gets invoked whenever ShopSite needs to calculate tax rates in the shopping cart (see the specification for details on when this happens). ShopSite passes information about the cart contents and the shipping address to the API, which will respond with a tax total calculated using that information. The tax is then displayed in the shopping cart.

Developers who wish to create an add-on application should refer to the Sales Tax API Specification for information on making an application compatible with the tax API.

To configure your store to calculate tax using an add-on, select the Use API Tax Add-on option on the Configure Tax screen, then click Configure. You can then provide the following information about the add-on you are using:

Configuration Options

The settings you configure here must match those expected by the add-on. Contact the add-on provider for information about what settings you should use.
Custom Tax Add-on

Select whether you are using an add-on hosted on the same server as your ShopSite store, or on a remote server:

ShopSite Server Select the file location option and enter the location of your tax add-on program, relative to the path of your shopping cart CGIs (indicated above the text box).
Remote Server Select the URL option and enter the full URL of your tax add-on program.

After entering the location of your add-on, click the Test Add-on button to have ShopSite post a test call to your add-on.

Time-outs if using URL

Select how long ShopSite should wait for a remote server to respond to API calls. Time-out values only apply if the add-on is hosted on a remote server.
Number of seconds to wait for a connection to the server Select the number of seconds ShopSite should wait for the add-on server to establish a connection. The default wait time is 5 seconds.
Number of seconds to wait for a response from the program Enter the number of seconds ShopSite should wait for the add-on server to respond to the API request. The default wait time is 15 seconds.

Extra Parameters

These parameters are passed to the add-on for use when calculating the tax rate. They are not displayed to the customer.
Additional Parameter N (where N is the parameter number) Enter any parameters the add-on requires your store to pass as part of the API call. There are a total of ten parameters that can be configured.

Tax Codes

These codes are used to create a pull-down menu on the Edit Product Information screen. You can then assign each product a specific tax code which will be passed to the add-on as part of the product information. The add-on can use these codes when determining how to calculate tax rates.
Tax Codes used to create pull down list when editing products Enter the tax codes that can be assigned to your product. Each code should appear on a line by itself.
Default Product Enter the default product code for a new product, or for existing products that don't already have a tax code assigned.
Shipping Enter the tax code to use for tax calculated on shipping fees.
Surcharge Enter the tax code to use for tax calculated on surcharges.

Messages
Tax Recalculated This message is displayed when the tax rate is recalculated using additional address information entered on the Billing screen. The default message is:
Tax was recalculated due to better address information

Extra Product Fields

Select which Extra Product Fields will be passed to the add-on for each product.
Pass name (Product Field N) (where name is the field name configured in Preferences > Extra Fields and N is the field number) Check the box to have ShopSite pass the specified product field to the add-on.
ShopSite Help and Resource Center
Last updated: March 01, 2010
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