Wix Stores VAT, GST and sales tax in Xero: matching tax rates

By Kayabyte

You can get Wix Stores orders into Xero and still end up with a tax return that doesn’t match your store. The usual causes are a rate that doesn’t exist in Xero, prices that include tax on one side and exclude it on the other, and a few cents of rounding. This guide covers how Wix charges tax, how to match each rate to a Xero tax rate (VAT, GST or sales tax), and what to check before you file.

How Wix Stores handles tax

Wix describes two ways to collect tax in its Tax collection overview: enter rates by hand for each location, or use Avalara for automatic calculation (not on every plan, so check yours). With the manual method you add tax locations, set a rate for each, and can create tax groups for exceptions, such as a 0% rate for items that are tax-free.

Then you choose how tax shows. Wix’s Including tax in the product price article describes two options under Tax > Tax Settings:

Add tax at checkout: prices show without tax, so a $100 item totals $110 at a 10% rate.
Include tax in item price: the displayed price already contains the tax, which is listed separately at checkout.

The same article says coupons and shipping rules based on price use the price without tax. Before you open Xero, write down the rates your store charges, whether prices include tax, and whether shipping is taxed at the same rate as products. Shipping and products can carry different rates, and that is where mismatches often start.

Set up matching tax rates in Xero

Each tax your store charges needs a Xero tax rate that posts to the right box of your return: for example standard-rate VAT on income, GST on income, or a sales tax rate for each state you sell into. Check Xero Central’s Add, edit or delete a tax rate for the current steps. What you can edit later depends on whether a rate has already been used, so name it clearly the first time, for example “Sales tax NY 8.875%”.

Invoices in Xero can be tax inclusive or exclusive. A store that includes tax in its prices should post tax-inclusive invoices, so line amounts equal what the customer paid. Mixing the two is a common reason totals are off.

Match each Wix tax to a Xero rate

By hand, you pick the rate on every invoice line. With a sync tool, you map once and then check the first orders. Either way, test these with real orders:

A product at the standard rate.
A zero-rated or exempt product, if you sell any.
A shipping charge, which may have its own rate.
An order with a discount code, where tax should follow the reduced price.
A partial refund, where the credit note’s tax should follow the original rates.

Compare the Xero net, tax and total with the Wix order. They should agree to the cent. Xero lets you adjust a tax amount by hand once manual tax adjustments are on, and for paid invoices you generally remove the payment first (see Xero Central’s articles on adjusting the tax amount). Treat that as a repair, not a routine.

Where an app helps

Full disclosure: Accounting Sync for Stores is our app. It sends each paid Wix Stores order to Xero as an invoice with the payment applied. On tax it works like this:

In Settings, each tax rate found on your orders (say 10% and 5%) is matched to a Xero tax rate you choose. An order with an unmapped rate isn’t posted: it waits as “Needs attention” with a message such as “Tax rate 10% is not mapped”, and is sent once you save the mapping.
It copies each line’s tax amount and the tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive setting from the Wix order, so Xero’s totals follow the order. Shipping and extra fees become their own lines with their own tax.
Before posting it compares its total with the Wix order total. If they differ by more than 0.02, nothing is posted and the order is marked “Needs review”.
A partial refund becomes a credit note with the tax split across the original rates.

The mapping matches rates; it doesn’t decide which Xero rate is right for your business. Ask your accountant. Plans start at $6 a month (Starter, up to 100 orders a month) with a 14-day trial. It’s on the Wix App Market.

Checklist before your first return

List the tax rates your store charges and whether prices include tax.
Create a matching Xero rate for each, plus one for zero-rated sales.
Map shipping tax separately from product tax.
Place one test order per case above and compare totals to the cent.
Run Xero’s tax report for a short period and compare it with the Wix Orders list.

FAQ

Does Wix send tax details to Xero by itself? No. Wix Stores has no built-in Xero connection. See How to connect Wix Stores to Xero (2026) for the options.

Should my Xero invoices be tax inclusive or exclusive? Match the Wix setting: if prices include tax, use tax-inclusive invoices.

Why is my Xero invoice a few cents off the Wix order? Usually rounding, or tax recalculated per line on one side and on the total on the other. Compare line by line, and prefer a method that copies the order’s tax amounts.

Can two Wix rates map to one Xero rate? Only if your accountant confirms the tax treatment is the same.

Wix and Xero pages last checked: 6 November 2026. App details: 6 November 2026.