Worldwide tax boundaries

Wherever you sell, the same line holds: the theme presents tax information; it never decides, calculates, files, or remits your taxes. Shopify calculates tax at checkout from the settings you configure in admin, and your registration, filing, and remittance obligations are yours — and your tax adviser's. This page is the per-region reference for that boundary, market by market.

This is not a compliance product, and it is not tax advice. A theme can't make a store tax-compliant in any country. Use this page to keep your storefront wording honest and to know which obligations live outside the theme — then confirm the specifics with the official authority and a tax professional for your markets.

For the EU, UK, and Ireland — which have their own detailed pages — see EU VAT, OSS & IOSS and UK & Ireland VAT. For duties at the border, see Cross-border shipping. For the wording rules referenced throughout, see the storefront wording guardrails.

• The universal rule
• Quick reference
• United States
• Canada
• Australia & New Zealand
• Norway & Switzerland
• Brazil
• Mexico
• India
• Japan & South Korea
• Southeast Asia
• Middle East (GCC & RTL markets)
• Greater China
• Before you launch in a new market
• What this page is — and is not

The universal rule

Three parties, three jobs — in every country:

	Owns	Examples
The theme (Uisce)	Presentation only	Shows "tax calculated at checkout where applicable", the price in the selected market's currency
Shopify admin / apps	Calculation & settings	Tax regions, registrations entered in admin, product tax categories, Shopify Tax
You + your adviser	Obligations	Registration, thresholds/nexus, filing calendars, remittance, invoices, documentation

And one wording rule, applied everywhere: describe behaviour, not an outcome. "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable" is safe; "[country] tax compliant" or "[tax] fully handled" is a guarantee you'd have to defend. The safe/unsafe split below is the same in every market.

✅ Safe (any market)	❌ Unsafe (any market)
Taxes/VAT/GST calculated at checkout where applicable	"[Country] tax compliant" · "VAT/GST fully handled"
Tax settings are managed in Shopify admin	"Taxes solved by the theme" · "No tax setup required"
Prices shown in your selected region's currency	"All obligations handled automatically"
You remain responsible for registration, filing, remittance, and documentation where required	"Invoice/reporting obligations handled by the theme"

Quick reference

Market	Main tax (high level)	Confirm with	Locale in Uisce
United States	State & local sales tax; nexus / economic nexus	State tax authorities; a tax professional	English
Canada	GST/HST (federal), PST, QST (Québec)	CRA + provincial authorities	English, French (CA)
Australia / NZ	GST	ATO; Inland Revenue (NZ)	English
Norway / Switzerland	VAT (MVA / MWST·TVA) — outside EU OSS/IOSS	Skatteetaten; ESTV	Norwegian Bokmål/Nynorsk
Brazil	ICMS/IPI/ISS + invoicing (nota fiscal)	Federal/state authorities; a specialist	Portuguese (Brazil)
Mexico	IVA + invoicing (CFDI)	SAT; a tax professional	Spanish (Mexico)
India	GST (CGST/SGST/IGST)	GST authorities; a tax professional	Hindi
Japan / South Korea	Consumption Tax (JCT) / VAT	NTA (JP); NTS (KR)	Japanese, Korean
Southeast Asia	VAT/GST (varies by country)	Each country's tax authority	Regional locales
Middle East (GCC)	VAT + e-invoicing in some states	Each authority (e.g. ZATCA, FTA)	Arabic (RTL)
Greater China	VAT + invoicing (fapiao)	Tax authorities; a specialist	Chinese (Simplified/Traditional)

Uisce ships these locales so the storefront can speak to each market — but a translated storefront is not tax setup. Translation and tax obligations are independent.

United States

US sales tax is set per state (and often locally), and whether you owe it turns on nexus — physical or economic nexus (sales/transaction thresholds in a state). A theme cannot determine nexus, register you with a state, manage filing frequencies or portal logins, or file and remit. Shopify Tax and your tax settings live in admin; review product tax categories, registrations, permits, and a filing calendar there and with a professional.

• ✅ "Sales tax calculated at checkout where applicable." · "Tax settings are managed in Shopify admin."
• ❌ "US sales tax compliant." · "Nexus handled automatically." · "Sales tax solved."

Canada

Canada layers GST/HST (federal/harmonized) with provincial PST (e.g. BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) and QST in Québec — each a separate registration and filing responsibility. Québec/QST is a common setup area for Québec-facing or Québec-based merchants. The theme displays tax messaging; it can't determine Canadian obligations, register you, or file with the CRA or provincial authorities. Review place-of-supply, product taxability, shipping taxability, and digital-goods treatment in admin and with a professional.

• ✅ "Canadian tax settings are managed in Shopify admin." · "You remain responsible for registration, filing, and remittance where required."
• ❌ "Canadian tax compliant." · "GST/HST/PST/QST fully handled." · "No Canadian tax setup required."

Australia & New Zealand

Both run a broad GST. Registration thresholds, low-value imported goods rules, invoicing/record expectations, and filing/remittance sit outside the theme — with the ATO (Australia) and Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Cross-border merchants selling into Australia or New Zealand can have obligations even without a physical presence there.

• ✅ "GST calculated at checkout where applicable." · "You remain responsible for registration, filing, and remittance where required."
• ❌ "Australian GST compliant." · "New Zealand GST compliant." · "GST fully handled."

Norway & Switzerland

Norway and Switzerland are not covered by the EU's OSS/IOSS schemes — don't let the EU VAT page stand in for them. Both operate their own VAT (Norway MVA, incl. the VOEC scheme for low-value goods; Switzerland MWST/TVA), with their own registration, import treatment, invoicing, and filing. Confirm with Skatteetaten (Norway) and the ESTV (Switzerland). Selling into either market can create obligations even if you're located elsewhere.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "Tax settings are managed in Shopify admin."
• ❌ "Norway VAT compliant." · "Switzerland VAT compliant." · "Non-EU VAT fully handled."

Brazil

Brazil's indirect tax (e.g. ICMS, IPI, ISS) and its invoicing/documentation (the nota fiscal system) are complex and outside theme scope — a translated pt-BR storefront does not solve them. Product classification, local registrations, documentation, payment/invoice expectations, and reporting need review, and cross-border sellers usually need a specialist.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "You remain responsible for tax setup, documentation, reporting, and remittance where required."
• ❌ "Brazil tax compliant." · "Brazilian taxes fully handled." · "Invoice obligations handled by the theme."

Mexico

Mexico applies IVA and has its own electronic invoicing (CFDI). Storefront translation (es-MX) is not local tax setup: registration, product classification, invoicing/documentation, checkout, payment, and reporting are configured outside the theme and confirmed with the SAT and a professional.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "Tax settings are managed outside the theme."
• ❌ "Mexico tax compliant." · "Mexican taxes fully handled." · "No Mexico tax setup required."

India

India's GST (CGST/SGST/IGST) involves registration, place-of-supply, product categories, digital-goods/services treatment, invoicing/documentation, and local reporting — all outside theme scope. Shipping hi (Hindi) helps you speak to the market; it does not handle India tax. Cross-border sellers into India may need a specialist.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "You remain responsible for tax setup, documentation, reporting, and remittance where required."
• ❌ "India tax compliant." · "India taxes fully handled." · "Invoice obligations handled by the theme."

Japan & South Korea

Japan's Consumption Tax (with the qualified-invoice system) and South Korea's VAT each have local registration, documentation/receipts, cross-border digital rules, and reporting outside the theme. Confirm with the NTA (Japan) and NTS (Korea). Shipping ja/ko localizes the storefront, nothing more.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "Tax settings are managed in Shopify admin."
• ❌ "Japan tax compliant." · "Korea VAT fully handled." · "No local tax setup required."

Southeast Asia

VAT/GST regimes vary by country across the region — Singapore (GST), Malaysia (SST), Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam (VAT) each have their own registration, thresholds, invoicing, and filing. Treat each market separately and confirm with that country's tax authority; the theme only displays what your Shopify settings produce. Regional locales help you reach shoppers, not meet obligations.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "You remain responsible for registration, filing, and remittance in each market where required."
• ❌ "Southeast Asia tax compliant." · "Regional VAT/GST fully handled."

Middle East (GCC & RTL markets)

Several Gulf states apply VAT (e.g. the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman), with e-invoicing obligations in some (such as Saudi Arabia's ZATCA). Registration, invoicing, and filing are per-state and outside the theme — confirm with each authority (e.g. ZATCA, the FTA). Uisce's right-to-left (ar) support presents the storefront correctly for these markets; it is not tax setup.

• ✅ "VAT calculated at checkout where applicable." · "Tax settings are managed in Shopify admin."
• ❌ "Gulf VAT compliant." · "E-invoicing handled by the theme." · "No VAT setup required."

Greater China

Mainland China applies VAT with its own invoicing system (fapiao), and cross-border selling adds further complexity. Registration, documentation, and reporting are outside theme scope and need local/specialist review. Shipping Simplified and Traditional Chinese localizes the storefront only.

• ✅ "Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable." · "You remain responsible for tax setup, documentation, and reporting where required."
• ❌ "China tax compliant." · "Chinese taxes fully handled." · "Invoice obligations handled by the theme."

Before you launch in a new market

Work the Tax setup checklist — a jurisdiction-neutral list of the tax-setup areas that live outside the theme, with pointers to Shopify admin and professional review.

What this page is — and is not

This is editorial guidance on the theme/admin/merchant boundary, market by market — a way to keep storefront wording honest and to know what the theme does not do. It is not legal or tax advice, and a safe phrasing is not a legal opinion. The right answer for your store depends on your products, markets, and obligations; confirm them with the official authorities and a tax professional, and configure tax in Shopify admin.