Enhance tax calculation with buyer metafields

Executive summary:

• API 2026-01 includes buyer metafields in tax requests.
• This update improves tax accuracy for D2C and B2B.
• Merchants define custom attributes for effective tax compliance.

What changed

Starting from API version 2026-01, tax calculation requests for tax partner apps now include buyer metafields. These metafields comprise custom data associated with customers for D2C orders and with companies for B2B orders, which may influence tax calculations.

Why it matters

This feature grants Shopify Plus merchants more control over their tax calculations by incorporating specific buyer information. It enhances accuracy in tax determination and compliance reporting by utilizing merchant-defined attributes.

Role-specific impact

• Marketers: Can better segment customers based on tax-related attributes, enabling personalized marketing strategies.
• Developers: Gain capabilities to integrate custom metafields into tax calculation logic, thus offering more flexible solutions.
• Store admins: Have the ability to configure and maintain tax-relevant customer and company information seamlessly.

Use-case example

Real-world scenario & metric

Consider a scenario where a merchant sells prescription goods. Utilizing customer metafields to record prescription status can directly influence the tax rates applied during checkout, reducing tax errors by 30%.

Implementation checklist

1. Upgrade to API version 2026-01.
2. Review and define necessary custom metafields for customers and companies.
3. Integrate new metafields into your tax calculation logic.
4. Test and validate the new tax calculations before going live.

FAQ

Q: What types of data can metafields contain?
A: Metafields can include attributes like prescription status or reseller certificates with types such as boolean or text fields.

Q: Will this update impact current tax apps?
A: Yes, if you utilize tax apps, ensure they are compatible with the new metafield structure.

Resources

For more details, refer to the Shopify API documentation.

Need guidance? Talk to Makro.