SyteLine Tax Engine Configuration and Setup Guide
The tax engine in SyteLine calculates sales tax, use tax, and VAT on customer orders, purchase orders, and AR/AP transactions. Proper configuration ensures accurate tax calculation across jurisdictions, correct exemption handling, and compliant tax reporting. This guide covers tax code setup, tax group assignment, jurisdiction mapping, and integration with external tax calculation services.
Tax Code and Tax Group Configuration
Tax codes are the foundation of SyteLine's tax engine. Each tax code on the Tax Codes form (SLTaxCodes IDO) defines a rate, jurisdiction, and GL posting account. Tax groups on the Tax Groups form bundle multiple tax codes to handle compound taxation (e.g., state + county + city). The tax_code table stores individual tax rates while the tax_group_detail table links tax codes to groups. Tax groups are assigned to customer ship-to addresses, vendor addresses, and item records.
- Create tax codes on the Tax Codes form for each tax jurisdiction with rate, effective date, and GL tax liability account
- Build tax groups on the Tax Groups form combining applicable tax codes (e.g., CA State + LA County + LA City)
- Assign tax groups to customer ship-to addresses to auto-calculate tax based on delivery destination
- Configure item tax categories to handle tax-exempt items, reduced-rate items, and fully taxable products
- Set effective dates on tax codes to handle rate changes without disrupting historical transaction data
Exemption and Override Handling
Tax exemptions in SyteLine are managed through tax exempt certificates on the Tax Exempt Certificates form. When a customer presents a valid exemption certificate, the certificate number and expiration date are recorded and linked to the customer record. During CO entry, SyteLine checks for valid exemption certificates and suppresses tax calculation for exempt transactions. Tax overrides allow manual rate adjustments for special situations.
- Record customer tax exemption certificates with certificate number, issuing state, and expiration date
- Link exemption certificates to customer records so CO entry automatically applies tax-exempt treatment
- Configure expiration date alerts to notify AR staff when customer exemption certificates approach renewal deadlines
- Enable manual tax overrides on CO lines for situations requiring rate adjustments with audit trail documentation
- Use tax category exemptions on item records for permanently exempt products like food or medical supplies
Tax Reporting and External Integration
SyteLine generates tax reports from the tax_trans table that records every tax transaction with jurisdiction, rate, base amount, and tax amount. The Sales Tax Report summarizes collected tax by jurisdiction and period for filing. For organizations operating across many jurisdictions, SyteLine integrates with external tax engines like Avalara or Vertex that provide real-time rate lookups and automated return filing.
- Run the Sales Tax Report monthly to summarize tax collected by jurisdiction for state and local tax return filing
- The tax_trans table stores detailed tax transaction records with links to source CO, AR, and AP documents
- Use Tax Report enables tracking of use tax on purchases where vendors did not charge applicable tax
- Configure Avalara or Vertex integration for real-time address-level tax rate calculation across 12,000+ US jurisdictions
- External tax engine integration replaces SyteLine's native tax tables with API-based rate lookups during transaction entry
Ensure tax compliance in SyteLine—schedule a tax engine configuration review with our specialists.
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