Skip to content

How to Set Up Taxes in Zipper

Zipper uses Stripe Tax to automatically calculate and collect sales tax at checkout. Setup has two parts: activating Stripe Tax in your Stripe account, then assigning a tax code to each product in Zipper.

Before You Start

  • Ensure your Stripe account is connected to Zipper
  • Ensure you have owner or admin permissions to assign tax codes to products

Part 1: Enable Stripe Tax in Stripe

This step happens in the Stripe Dashboard — outside of Zipper.

  1. Log in at dashboard.stripe.com
  2. Go to Tax in the left menu
  3. Click Get started and follow Stripe’s prompts to add your business address and tax registrations (the states where you collect tax)
  4. Once Stripe Tax status shows as Active, you’re ready for Part 2

Once Stripe Tax is active, Zipper automatically starts calculating tax on eligible purchases — but only for products that have a tax code assigned.

Part 2: Assign a Tax Code to Each Product

Tax codes tell Stripe what type of product is being sold, which determines whether tax applies and at what rate.

Step 1: Go to Products & Services

Go to Products & Services > Manage Plans.

The Products & Services page showing a list of products

Step 2: Open a product to edit

Click the product name or the Edit button on any product you want to tax.

The top of the product edit form

Step 3: Find the Tax code field

Scroll down in the product form to the Tax code section. The note reads: “Use Stripe Tax to enable automatic tax collection for this product.”

The Tax code field in the product form, showing the current code and a note about Stripe Tax

Step 4: Select a tax code

Click the Tax code field to open the selector. Use the search box to find the right code for your product type.

The Select tax code modal with a search field and list of tax categories

For most fitness businesses, search for terms like gym, fitness, or athletic to find the right category.

The tax code modal with "gym" typed in the search field

Select the code that best matches your product type. Common ones for fitness studios:

  • Athletic Instruction — for classes, coaching, personal training
  • Gym Membership — for recurring monthly memberships
  • Sports Activities Equipment — for retail items like gear

Step 5: Save the product

Click Save. From now on, Stripe Tax will calculate applicable sales tax at checkout for this product based on each customer’s location and your tax registrations.

Tips

  • Repeat this for every product you want to tax — tax codes are set per product
  • Not all states tax fitness services. Stripe Tax handles this automatically based on your registrations
  • You can check which states tax fitness services in the Stripe Tax documentation

Troubleshooting

Taxes aren’t showing at checkout Two things must both be true: (1) Stripe Tax must be Active in your Stripe Dashboard, and (2) the product must have a tax code assigned. Check both.

Which tax code should I use? Most fitness classes fall under Athletic Instruction. For subscriptions, use Gym Membership. When in doubt, consult your accountant — Stripe’s tax codes map to specific legal product categories.

A customer says they’re tax-exempt Tax exemptions (like nonprofits) are handled through Stripe Tax’s exemption flow. The customer provides their exemption certificate through Stripe directly.


Need a hand?

Email our team at support@joinzipper.com and we'll usually reply within a few hours.

Was this article helpful?