How do I apply the correct VAT rate for cross-border sales?

Pull the destination country's profile and read its standard rate, reduced bands and inclusive-price rule, then apply them at checkout and on the invoice. Because the data is re-verified each release, your tax logic stays correct by construction instead of drifting in a spreadsheet.

How do you keep tax rates current when they change?

Rates are researched against national tax authorities and re-checked on every release — we caught Kazakhstan moving to 16% and Fiji cutting to 12.5% — and scheduled changes are flagged ahead of time so you are not surprised on the effective date.

Is this a substitute for a tax-filing or remittance service?

No. Locale Sense gives you the correct rate, name and display rule to charge and show tax properly; it does not file returns or remit tax on your behalf. It is the data layer that feeds those systems.

Tax compliance — Locale Sense

Selling across borders means a different tax rate, name and display rule in every market. Pull the standard rate, the reduced bands and whether the price should include tax, so your invoices and checkout are correct by construction rather than by a spreadsheet someone forgets to update.

Why it works_

Correct tax, without the spreadsheet

Current rates

Re-verified against national authorities each release; scheduled changes flagged ahead of time.

tax-compliance.sh

curl "https://api.localesense.com/v1/countries/GB" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ls_live_..."

Inclusive-price law

Know where the shelf price must already contain the tax.

Reduced bands

The lower rates for food, medicine, books and the rest, where they apply.

The data behind it

What your code sees, per request.

A sample of the real response shape for a visitor in the United States — every value attributable, nothing guessed. Point the same call at any of the 197 markets.

Tax

Try it live in the docs

GET /v1/self 200 OK · sample