Estimated Tax — How to Show Import Tax Estimates at Checkout

Overview

Estimated Tax lets you display a calculated tax estimate to customers at checkout — informational only, so it doesn't change what they actually pay. It's designed for stores that sell internationally: instead of buyers being surprised by duties or import taxes at delivery, they see a clear estimate upfront on the Thank You page, Order Status page, or (for Shopify Plus stores) directly on the checkout page.

The tax estimate is calculated as: Subtotal × Tax Rate, based on the customer's shipping country. You configure the tax rate per country, and the block only appears when there's a match.

Plan availability:

• Free / Basic: Up to 1 country. Block can be added to Thank You Page and Order Status Page.
• Premium: Unlimited countries. Block can be added to Thank You Page and Order Status Page.
• Plus (Shopify Plus stores): Unlimited countries. Block can be added to Checkout Page, Thank You Page, and Order Status Page.

Best Practices

Which markets to configure first: Start with your top international markets by order volume — typically the EU, UK, Australia, and Canada. These regions have predictable, flat tax rates at the country level and the highest rate of delivery refusals due to surprise import costs.

Use a conservative rate: Since v1 uses a single country-level rate (not state/zip-level), aim slightly above the average to avoid underpromising. It's better for customers to pay less than the estimate than more.

Where to add the block: Adding the block to both Thank You Page and Order Status Page gives you the widest coverage — customers see the estimate right after ordering and again when they track their shipment. If you're on Shopify Plus, also add it to the Checkout Page for maximum transparency before payment.

Keep the disclaimer visible: The default note "Informational only — not added to your total" is important. Don't remove it — it sets the right expectation and protects you from disputes.

Step-by-Step Guide

Part 1: Set Up Your Tax Rates

Step 1: In your Shopify admin, open Blockify Checkout and navigate to the Tax & Duty tab.

If you haven't configured any countries yet, you'll land on the setup page with a "Create your first Tax Rule" button. Click it.

Step 2: On the Estimated Tax configuration page, you'll see a Tax Rate Configuration panel on the left. You can add countries in two ways:

Option A — Manual entry:

• In the Country field, search by country name or country code (e.g., type "VN" to find Vietnam).
• Enter the Tax Rate as a percentage (e.g., 20 for 20%).
• Click Add.

Option B — Import CSV:

• Click the Import CSV tab.
• Click Download template to get the correct format (columns: Country, Code, Tax Rate).
• Fill in your rates and save the file.
• Drag and drop the CSV file into the upload area, or click to browse.

Note: On Free/Basic plans, you can only configure 1 country. Once the limit is reached, the Add button is disabled and an upgrade prompt appears. The form stays visible — you won't lose your input.

Step 3: After adding your countries, review the list in the table below the form. To edit a rate, click on the rate value directly in the table — it becomes an editable field. Press Enter or click away to save, or Escape to cancel.

Step 4: When you're done, click Save in the contextual bar at the top ("Unsaved changes — Discard / Save").

Part 2: Add the Block to Your Pages

The Estimated Tax block needs to be added to your store pages through Shopify's Checkout Editor. This is separate from the tax rate setup above.

Step 5: From the Tax & Duty overview screen, find the Block Setup Status card and click Manage. This opens the Shopify Checkout Editor directly.

Step 6: In the Checkout Editor, click the + (Add block) button in the left panel, then search for "Estimated Tax Banner".

Step 7: Click the + icon next to Estimated Tax Banner, then choose which page to add it to:

• Thank you — shown right after the customer places an order
• Order status — shown on the order tracking page
• Checkout — shown during checkout (Shopify Plus only)

Step 8: After adding the block, click on it to open Block settings on the right panel. You can customize:

• Title — the heading shown above the tax estimate (supports {{tax}} and {{country}} variables)
• Description — supporting text below the amount (supports {{tax}} and {{country}} variables)

For example, a Description like "Estimated import tax for {{country}}: {{tax}}" will render as "Estimated import tax for Germany: $12.40".

Step 9: Click Save in the Checkout Editor to publish your changes.

Part 3: Activate the Feature

Step 10: Go back to Tax & Duty in Blockify Checkout. You'll see the Overview screen showing your configured countries and block placement status.

Step 11: Click Turn on next to Activate Estimated Tax at the top of the page. The badge changes to On and the block immediately becomes active on your storefront for configured countries.

FAQ

Q: Does the estimated tax get added to the customer's order total? A: No. The block is informational only — it displays an estimate but does not affect the actual order total or what the customer pays. This is clearly stated in the block's default disclaimer.

Q: What happens if a customer's shipping country isn't in my list? A: The block simply doesn't appear for that customer. There's no error shown — it's invisible if there's no matching country.

Q: Can I configure multiple tax rates for the same country (e.g., Canada's GST + PST)? A: Not in v1. Each country supports a single tax rate.

Q: I'm on Free/Basic and want to add more countries. What should I do? A: Upgrade to Premium or Plus to unlock unlimited countries. Click the upgrade link shown in the country limit message, or go to your plan settings in Blockify Checkout.

Q: I added the block in the Checkout Editor but it's not showing up. What's wrong? A: Check two things: (1) make sure Activate Estimated Tax is turned On in the Tax & Duty overview, and (2) confirm you have at least one country configured with a tax rate saved.

Q: The Checkout Page option isn't appearing in the Checkout Editor. Why? A: Adding the Estimated Tax block to the Checkout page is only available for Shopify Plus stores. If you're on a standard Shopify plan, you can add the block to the Thank You Page and Order Status Page instead.

Note: Changes to the block's on/off status take effect immediately. Changes made in the Checkout Editor may take up to 2 minutes to reflect in your live store.

Updated on: 23/04/2026