automated sales tax errors

I appreciate you for reaching out, Karen! I understand that switching from custom tax rates can be challenging, and we are here to help resolve the issues you’ve mentioned and get everything back on track.

Please note that QuickBooks calculates sales tax based on factors like your customer’s tax-exempt status, where you sell or ship, and the tax category assigned to items or services. However, if customers have old billing or shipping addresses saved, the system can default to incorrect tax agencies. Verifying and updating these addresses can help ensure the correct tax calculations moving forward. Here's how:

1. Go to Sales.
2. Select Customers.
3. Then, click Edit.
4. After updating your Customer's info, click Save.

Also, inactive custom rates can limit adjustments, as automated sales tax settings won’t display them in the drop-down. Temporarily turning off automated sales tax allows manual corrections using custom rates, but reactivating inactive rates can give more flexibility. While QuickBooks doesn’t currently support sorting custom tax rates alphabetically, submitting feedback directly can help advocate for this feature in future updates. Here's how:

1. Go to the Gear Icon.
2. Under PROFILE, select Feedback and share your suggestion for an alphabetical sort option in the custom tax rate list.

For larger adjustments, like reactivating many custom rates, contacting QuickBooks Live Support is highly recommended. They have the tools to securely access your account, assist with bulk settings updates, and provide guidance tailored to your business needs. Here’s how to get in touch:

1. Go to the Help menu in QuickBooks Online.
2. Type Contact Support in the search bar.
3. Select Contact Us at the bottom of the page.
4. Follow the prompts to connect via Chat or Request a Callback.

For the best times to reach out, refer to this article: Get help with QuickBooks products and services.

For more details about automated sales tax, you can refer to this article: Learn how QuickBooks automatically calculates sales tax.

If you need additional assistance or have more questions, feel free to reach out. The Community space is available 24/7.

So frustrating...what you are telling me to do is the reverse what we just did based on what I was advised to do on QB Community by another QB Team member when I asked "should we really use automated tax, will it work properly?"  

What I'm learning from this experience is that I cannot really trust any answer I get from QB.  This happens on the phone too.  Usually the first person that calls me back is zero help and just reads me from QB Online which usually isn't even my question.  And then if I am lucky, I get a knowledgeable person on the 2nd try.   I can't really tell on this community board who really is an expert.