Finance

# Tax rates and VAT rules

Create your VAT rates with ledger codes, choose the default tax rate and decide which rate applies with VAT rules on price configurations.

Updated October 4, 2026

**Who can do this:** Settings > Variables: a role level above 600\. Default tax rate: role level 1000 (platform administrators).

Tax rates are the VAT percentages you charge, such as 21%, 9%, 0% for international transport, or reverse-charged VAT. Every quote and invoice line has a tax rate. The rate carries its own ledger codes for your accounting package.

## Create a tax rate

1. Open the side menu (☰) and choose **Settings**.
2. Open the **Variables** tab.
3. Go to the **Tax Rates** section.
4. Enter the **Name**, for example "VAT 21%".
5. Enter the **Credit code** and **Debit code** used in your accounting package.
6. Enter the **Percentage**, for example 21.
7. Switch the toggle on to make the rate active.
8. Click **Create**.

The table lists every rate with **Name**, **Credit code**, **Debit code**, **Percentage** and **Active**. Filter it on **Active**.

## Edit, deactivate or remove

* Click **Edit** on a row, change the values in the form at the top and click **Update** (or **Cancel**).
* Switch a rate off to stop offering it. Inactive rates are not offered for new lines, but lines that already use them keep them.
* Click **Remove** to delete a rate you never used.

Do not change the percentage of a rate that is already used on invoices when the law changes. Create a new rate and deactivate the old one, so earlier invoices stay correct.

## Set the default tax rate

1. Open the side menu (☰) and choose **Settings**.
2. Open the **Environment** tab.
3. Expand **Financial**.
4. Choose the rate in **Default tax rate**.
5. Save the settings.

New quote and invoice lines start with this rate. Without a default, Transportial uses the first active rate.

## Choose the rate per line

On a quote or invoice, each line has **Select tax rate**. The form shows totals **Exclusive of VAT** (on quotes) or **Excluding VAT** (on invoices), or **Including VAT**, depending on the toggle at the top. See [Quotes](/en-us/help/quotes) and [Invoices](/en-us/help/invoices).

## Apply VAT automatically with VAT rules

Price configurations and price modules have **VAT rules**. A rule picks a tax rate when the priced item matches its conditions, for example 21% for domestic transports and 0% for cross-border ones.

1. Open a price configuration (see [Set up price configurations](/en-us/help/pricing)).
2. Under **VAT rules**, click **Add VAT line**, then click the new **Price tax line** block.
3. Enter a **Name**, for example "Domestic transport".
4. Choose the rate in **Select tax rate**. Only active rates are listed.
5. Optional: add a **Description**.
6. Add the conditions the priced item must meet. Leave them empty for a rule that always applies.
7. Click **Save**, then save the price configuration.

Rules are tried from top to bottom; the first rule that matches supplies the rate. Rules on a price module go before the rules of the configuration.

Put your most specific rule first and finish with a rule without conditions as the fallback.

## Related articles

* [Set up price configurations](/en-us/help/pricing)
* [Pricing categories and cost elements](/en-us/help/pricing-categories)
* [Create, send and follow up invoices](/en-us/help/invoices)
* [Create and send quotes](/en-us/help/quotes)

## Still need help?

Our support team is happy to answer any question about Transportial.

[Contact support](/en-us/contact)[Report an issue](/en-us/report-issue)

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Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/help/tax-rates