Configure sales tax correctly to ensure compliance and accurate reporting.

Tax Categories

Group items by tax treatment:

Category	Typical Use	Example Rate
Food	Most menu items	8.875%
Alcohol	Beer, wine, spirits	8.875%
Non-Taxable	Gift cards, tips	0%
Prepared Food	Hot/prepared items	Varies

Tax rates vary by jurisdiction. Consult a tax professional for your specific location.

Setting Up Tax Categories

Create Category

Portal → Settings → Tax Categories → Add Category

Name and Rate

Enter category name and tax rate percentage.

Assign to Items

Apply category to relevant menu items.

Tax Rates

Single Rate

Most common setup — one rate for all taxable items:

Food: 8.875%
Alcohol: 8.875%
Non-Taxable: 0%

Multiple Rates

Some jurisdictions require different rates:

Hot Food: 9.25%
Cold Food: 7.5%
Alcohol: 10.25%
Non-Taxable: 0%

Compound Taxes

When taxes stack (rare):

State: 6%
County: 1.5%
City: 1%
= Total: 8.5%

Plasma calculates compound taxes automatically when configured.

Assigning Tax Categories

To Individual Items

Edit menu item
Select tax category
Save changes

To Categories

Apply tax category to all items in a menu category:

Edit menu category
Set default tax category
New items inherit this setting

Tax-Exempt Scenarios

Gift Cards

Gift card purchases are typically non-taxable:

Create "Non-Taxable" category
Assign to gift card items
Tax applied when redeemed, not purchased

Delivery Fees

Check local rules — delivery fees may be:

Taxable as part of sale
Non-taxable service fee
Partially taxable

Employee Meals

Discounted or comped employee meals may still have tax implications:

Check with tax advisor
Configure appropriately

Tax Reports

Tax Collected Report

View tax collected by category:

Category	Taxable Sales	Tax Rate	Tax Collected
Food	$10,000	8.875%	$887.50
Alcohol	$3,000	8.875%	$266.25
Total	$13,000	-	$1,153.75

Exporting for Filing

Portal → Reports → Tax Collected
Select date range (month/quarter)
Export CSV
Submit to tax authority

Multi-Location Taxes

Different Rates by Location

Set location-specific rates:

Location	Food Tax	Alcohol Tax
Manhattan	8.875%	8.875%
Brooklyn	8.875%	8.875%
Newark, NJ	6.625%	6.625%

Configuring Per-Location

Settings → Tax Categories
Enable "Per-Restaurant Rates"
Set rates for each location

Common Mistakes

Don't Forget

Alcohol often taxed differently
Delivery fees may be taxable
Service charges may be taxable
Tips are NOT taxable sales

Verify Settings

Test tax calculations before launch
Compare receipt totals to expected
Audit monthly during tax filing

Tax Compliance Tips

Keep records for 3-7 years
File returns on time
Remit collected tax promptly
Consult a tax professional

Plasma calculates and reports taxes but doesn't provide tax advice. Consult a professional for compliance questions.