We’re currently running another e-commerce platform but are looking to move to Shopify very soon. I’ve hit a major roadblock that I hope someone can help with!
We run an app that handles Disability VAT Exemption — allowing customers to purchase products VAT-free if they need them for a qualifying medical reason. They simply fill in a short declaration form at checkout, and VAT is automatically removed.
From what I’ve seen on Shopify, it looks like we can mark existing customers as tax-exempt manually, which is fine for regular buyers. However, for a new or one-off customer (for example, someone shopping on a weekend who wants to buy VAT-free without creating an account), there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to do this.
Has anyone found a workaround or app solution that allows a simple VAT-relief declaration form at checkout, applies the 0% rate instantly, and keeps records for compliance?
Any advice or examples would be massively appreciated! Ive messaged Addify and another lady that has done bespoke work arounds but have a feeling this could mean we need to go to another platform. Thanks Kate
That’s a really good question, Kate, and you’re right, Shopify doesn’t natively support real-time VAT exemption forms at checkout without some customization.
In most cases, this can be handled through a custom script or app integration that validates the VAT declaration and dynamically applies a 0% tax rate, even for guest checkouts.
If you’d like, I can review your current setup and share a clean workaround using Shopify’s tax and checkout extensibility tools. It’s possible to achieve this without switching platforms.
You’re spot on, Shopify doesn’t natively handle Disability VAT Exemption dynamically at checkout, but it’s 100% doable with the right setup.
The most reliable approach is to collect the VAT exemption declaration before checkout using a custom form like built with apps like Mechanic or Hulk Form Builder. Once submitted, that form can automatically tag the customer or order and remove VAT instantly, even for guest checkouts. The declaration details are stored in the order record for full HMRC compliance.
I’ve seen this workflow work smoothly for UK medical and mobility stores no need to move platforms.
If you’d like, I can share a quick outline of how that automation connects the form to checkout in real time. Would you like me to drop that here?
A shopify Plus plan, enterprise, is required to modify the checkout process itself.
Reach out to me if need consulting, or a demo store to test the tax behavior or other features.
Or just need automations and custom apps built. Click profile pic on forums for options.
You’ll have to figure out which combination of states and phases you can try to fix this in:
tax inclusive
tax exclusive
and
Cart(online-storefront or custom build storefront api)
If you set a customer to be tax exempt but you use tax-included pricing, then the customer will still be charged the full listed product price. ~ Tax overrides and exemptions - shopify docs
The simplest approach can be to require customer accounts if prices are NOT tax-inclusive.
Or, for the online-sales-channel ONLY, your having to collect this info prior to checkout.
and possibly do workarounds like swapping the vatproducts for non-vat products, or use the draft orders system with a custom-app, like an automation app like mechanic which has a example script for this https://tasks.mechanic.dev/create-a-draft-order-from-the-cart , etc etc etc
So this will NOT work for multichannel unless on a plus plan; or all other channels direct to the frontend of the online-sales-channel theme. Multiichannel not on a plus plan should probably use shopify-functions cart-validations, or test orders post-purchase to flag/tag them.
So it is possible, but is not native/first-class feature so there will be rough spots.
Click profile pic on forums for options.
With the caveat: