Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This page answers the most common questions about installing, configuring, and using TaxWisp. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please visit the Support page or contact the TaxWisp support team.
General
What is TaxWisp?
TaxWisp is a Shopify-native sales tax exemption management platform that automates the collection, validation, approval, and ongoing management of tax exemption certificates. It helps merchants streamline tax-exempt sales while maintaining compliance and delivering a seamless customer experience.
Who should use TaxWisp?
TaxWisp is designed for Shopify stores that sell to tax-exempt customers, including resellers, wholesalers, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, healthcare organizations, manufacturers, agricultural businesses, and other eligible entities.
Does TaxWisp work with all Shopify plans?
Yes. TaxWisp supports all Shopify plans.
However, Checkout Extensions are only available for Shopify Plus stores due to Shopify platform restrictions.
Can I use TaxWisp outside Shopify?
TaxWisp currently supports Shopify stores. Support for non-Shopify storefronts is planned and will allow merchants to embed TaxWisp extensions using generated code snippets while continuing to manage exemptions through the TaxWisp platform.
Installation & Setup
Where should I place the TaxWisp extension?
For the best customer experience, we recommend placing the TaxWisp extension in one or more of the following locations:
- Store Header
- Product Pages
- Store Footer
- Dedicated Tax Exemption page
- Checkout (Shopify Plus only)
This makes it easy for customers to find and submit exemption requests.
Can I customize the TaxWisp extension?
Yes. You can customize:
- Button label
- Description text
- Colors
- Font
- Alignment
- Display style (Icon, Text, or Featured Button)
These settings are available from either Theme Extension or the Settings page.
Customer Experience
Where do customers submit exemption requests?
Depending on your configuration, customers can submit requests:
- Directly on your storefront
- Through the TaxWisp Customer Portal
Both methods support guided forms and secure document uploads.
Can customers track their exemption status?
Yes.
When using the TaxWisp Customer Portal, customers can view the status of their exemption requests, active exemptions, expiry information, and request history.
What happens after a customer's request is approved?
Once approved:
- The customer is automatically marked as tax-exempt.
- Customer tags are applied.
- Future eligible orders are processed without sales tax.
- The exemption remains active until it expires or is revoked.
What happens if an exemption expires?
Once an exemption expires, tax exemption is no longer applied to future purchases.
The customer must submit an updated exemption certificate to continue receiving tax-exempt checkout.
What's the difference between Storefront Submission and Customer Portal Submission?
Use Storefront Submission when you want customers to complete the exemption request directly on your website without leaving your store.
Use the Customer Portal when you want customers to access a dedicated dashboard where they can track request status, view previous submissions, manage exemptions, and extend enrollments across participating stores.
What is Tax Exemption Preclaim?
Tax Exemption Preclaim allows eligible customers to claim tax exemption before submitting their exemption certificates.
Instead of delaying the purchase while collecting exemption documents, customers can place their order immediately. The order is marked as Pending Verification, giving customers time to submit their exemption request before fulfillment.
Once approved, the order proceeds to fulfillment as a verified tax-exempt order. If the exemption request is rejected or not completed within the required timeframe, the order is automatically cancelled.
What happens if customers don't complete their Tax Exemption Preclaim?
Orders created through Tax Exemption Preclaim remain Pending Verification until the exemption request is completed.
If the customer submits valid exemption documents and the request is approved, the order proceeds to fulfillment.
If the customer doesn't submit the required documents or the exemption request is rejected, the order is automatically cancelled.
Approvals & AI Co-Pilot
Can I review requests manually?
Yes.
Manual approval is available on all plans.
Every submitted request appears in your TaxWisp Dashboard for review.
What is AI Co-Pilot?
AI Co-Pilot analyzes uploaded exemption certificates, extracts key information, validates document accuracy, and provides insights that help merchants make faster and more informed approval decisions.
Can AI approve requests automatically?
Yes.
Premium plans support criteria-based auto approval, where AI validation works alongside configurable approval rules.
Requests can be approved automatically when selected criteria—such as matching the Exemption ID or Jurisdiction—are successfully validated.
How does AI document validation work?
AI Co-Pilot analyzes uploaded exemption certificates, extracts relevant information such as exemption IDs and jurisdictions, and compares them with the information submitted by the customer.
The AI validation results help merchants review requests more efficiently and can also power Criteria-Based Auto Approval.
What are AI Validation Credits?
AI-powered document validation uses monthly credits included with eligible plans.
Credits are:
- Refreshed every billing cycle
- Tracked automatically
- Available for purchase if additional validations are needed
What happens when AI validation credits are exhausted?
Once your monthly AI validation credits have been used, you can either purchase additional credit bundles or wait until your next billing cycle when your included credits are replenished.
Certificates & Storage
Where are exemption certificates stored?
Depending on your settings, certificates can be stored in:
- TaxWisp Secure Storage
- Shopify Storage (CDN)
TaxWisp Secure Storage is recommended for enhanced privacy, encryption, and compliance.
Can I change the storage provider later?
Yes.
You can change the storage provider from the Settings page at any time. The change will apply to future uploads.
Does TaxWisp track certificate expiry?
Yes.
TaxWisp automatically tracks certificate expiry dates and can notify merchants before certificates expire, helping maintain compliance.
Managing Customers & Exemption Requests
Does TaxWisp automatically tag customers?
Yes.
Approved customers are automatically assigned exemption tags. You can also configure custom tags to match your store's internal workflows.
Can I bulk import tax-exempt customers?
Yes.
Eligible plans support bulk importing exemption records using an Excel file, making it easy to onboard existing tax-exempt customers.
Can I edit or revoke an approved exemption?
Yes.
Merchants can manage exemption requests from the TaxWisp Dashboard, including updating expiry dates or revoking approvals when necessary.
What's the difference between Manual Approval, Approve All, and Criteria-Based Auto Approval?
TaxWisp supports three approval modes:
- Manual Approval – Review and approve every request individually.
- Approve All – Automatically approve every incoming exemption request without validation.
- Criteria-Based Auto Approval – AI validates the uploaded exemption certificate and automatically approves requests only when the configured approval criteria (such as Jurisdiction or Exemption ID) are satisfied.
Analytics & Reporting
What analytics does TaxWisp provide?
TaxWisp includes dashboards and reports for:
- Tax-exempt sales
- Customer activity
- Approval trends
- Exemption requests
- Certificate status
These insights help merchants monitor compliance and business performance.
Import & Migration
Can I import existing tax-exempt customers?
Yes.
Premium merchants can import existing tax-exempt customers and exemption records in bulk using Excel, making it easy to migrate from spreadsheets or another exemption management system.
Billing & Plans
Which features are available on Premium?
Premium includes advanced capabilities such as:
- AI Co-Pilot
- Criteria-based auto approval
- Bulk import
- Storefront submission
- Flexible storage providers
- Tax Exemption Preclaim
- Advanced analytics
- Reports Export
- Extend Enrollment
Refer to the Pricing page for a complete feature comparison.
What is Extend Enrollment?
Extend Enrollment allows customers with approved exemptions to request enrollment with other participating TaxWisp stores operating in the same jurisdiction.
This improves the customer experience while helping participating merchants gain exposure to additional tax-exempt buyers.
Support
Where can I get help?
Visit the Support section of this documentation or contact the TaxWisp support team at: