This guide explains how to set up automatic sales tax application for non-US regions based on the customer’s shipping address, using Synder Smart Rules (Recipes).
This works the same way for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop using the Recipes shortcut described below. Xero doesn’t have the Recipes tab, but you can build the exact same rule manually in a couple of extra clicks — see the For Xero: Build This Manually section near the end.
Can be used if:
- You sell to customers in non-US regions (such as Canada) and need Synder to apply regional tax codes automatically based on the province or country in the shipping address.
Before You Start
- You must be connected to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop in Per-Transaction mode to use the Recipe (Xero users: see the Xero section below instead).
- The tax codes you want to apply (e.g., GST/PST BC) must already exist in your accounting platform.
- Know the province names or abbreviations you want to use as conditions (e.g., “British Columbia”, “BC”).
How to Set Up the Non-US Tax Recipe
Below are the detailed steps on how to set up a Smart Rule automatically for non-US sales tax using Recipes:
- In Synder, go to Smart Rules in the left menu, then select Recipes.
- Find the Set NON US Tax in Sales Receipt or Set Non US Tax in Invoice recipe, depending on the transaction type you want to cover. You can enable both if needed. Click Try it out to open the recipe builder.
- In the IF block, click to edit the condition. Set it to: Shipping Address → Region → Contains → [province name or abbreviation]. For example, enter “British Columbia” and “BC” to cover both the full name and the abbreviation.
- Click the THEN block and select Set QuickBooks Online entity data.
- In the pop-up, choose the Tax Calculation Type (e.g., Exclusive of Tax) and select the correct tax code from the dropdown (e.g., GST/PST BC).
- Click Submit to save the THEN block.
- Add additional IF/THEN blocks for other provinces or regions as needed.
- Click Save & Close Rule to activate the rule.
Note: You can add multiple regions in the same rule by building new condition modules following the No line of the Smart Rule
For Xero: Build This Manually
Xero doesn’t have the Recipes tab, so you won’t find this as a one-click template — but every part of it is just a regular Smart Rule, and Xero supports the same trigger, condition, and action.
- Create a new rule and select Invoice as the trigger → Created.
- In the IF block, set the condition to Contact: Shipping address → Region → Contains → [province name] — e.g., “British Columbia” (use Country instead of Region if you’re matching on a whole country rather than a province). Unlike QuickBooks, Xero ties the shipping address to the Contact record rather than the transaction, which is why the condition starts with Contact.
- Click the THEN block and select Xero action → Invoice → Update current → Set Xero entity data.
- In the pop-up, navigate to the Tax Rate field and select the correct tax code (e.g., GST/PST BC). Click Submit, then Save & Close Rule.
- Add additional IF/THEN blocks for other provinces or countries as needed, the same way as the QuickBooks Recipe above.
Note: Tax Rate is only blocked on already-paid invoices, so this works for unpaid invoices as they’re created.
How to Confirm It Worked
Go to the Platform Transactions tab and find a transaction that falls under the created rule. Click Ready to Sync, then sync it.
After it syncs, click Show in your accounting software and verify the correct tax code has been applied.
You can also go to Smart Rules → Executions to confirm the rule has been successfully executed.
Limitations & Important Notes
- Per-Transaction mode only: Recipes work with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. They are not available in Summary Sync, and the Recipes tab itself is not available for Xero — Xero users build the equivalent as a regular Smart Rule instead (see the Xero section below).
- Tax codes must exist in your accounting platform first: Synder applies existing tax codes — it does not create them.
- Order of IF blocks matters: Synder checks each IF block in order and applies the first matching condition. Arrange your blocks accordingly.
- “Contains” allows partial matching: Use this to cover both full province names and abbreviations in the same block (e.g., “British Columbia” and “BC”).
FAQ
Can I set up rules for multiple provinces in one rule?
Yes. Add a separate IF/THEN block for each province. Each block can have its own tax code.
Can I use this for countries other than Canada?
Yes. The Non-US tax recipe works for any non-US region. Change the condition to match the country or region name relevant to your business.
What if the tax code I need isn’t showing in the dropdown?
The tax code must be created in your accounting platform first. Once it exists there, it will appear in Synder’s dropdown.
Can I apply rules to both Sales Receipts and Invoices?
On QuickBooks Online/Desktop, yes — set up a separate recipe for each transaction type; the configuration steps are identical. Xero doesn’t have a Sales Receipt entity, so the manual Xero rule above only applies to Invoices.
Where can I check if the rule ran correctly?
Go to Smart Rules → Executions. The log shows each time a rule fired, which transaction triggered it, and what action was taken.
Reach out to Synder Team via online support chat or email with any questions you have – we are always happy to help you!
