ShipVAT

ShipVAT is a tax API for software teams that need to calculate VAT, sales tax, or GST across multiple markets. It is strongest for teams building tax workflows into an existing checkout; the 100-call monthly Free cap makes that plan a trial-sized foothold, not a durable production allowance.

Overview

ShipVAT supports 93 jurisdictions, with the EU, UK, US, Canada, and Australia among the named regions. Its API is designed to work with Paddle, LemonSqueezy, PayPal, or another payment stack, so it can sit behind an existing checkout rather than require a change of payment provider.

Tax data is curated from official sources including EU TEDB, HMRC, IRS, CRA, and ATO. Each rate carries a source URL, verification timestamp, and effective dates, useful traceability for teams reviewing how a figure was sourced and when it applies. This supports compliance work but does not itself establish that a business has met its obligations.

Key features

The API covers calculations, rates and thresholds, transaction and customer management, VAT ID validation, compliance reports, webhooks, and address validation. Nexus threshold intelligence spans all 50 US states and beyond, and exemption certificates are supported. That range is useful when a team needs more than a calculation endpoint; teams needing only occasional calculations may not benefit from the broader workflow tools.

Developer resources include a TypeScript SDK, OpenAPI 3.0, Swagger UI, and curl examples. Endpoints use Bearer-token authentication, with test and live API key formats. These materials give developers several ways to evaluate and integrate the API, though implementation still calls for engineering work.

Pricing

The Free plan costs $0 forever and allows 100 API calls/month. It includes tax calculation across supported jurisdictions, address validation, the TypeScript SDK, transaction recording, customer management, VAT ID validation, and compliance reports. That is a broad feature set for a prototype or low-volume service, but its call ceiling is restrictive for regular customer traffic.

Pro costs $49/month, billed monthly, for 50,000 API calls/month, batch operations, webhooks, and email support with a 24h SLA. It is the practical step up for a production integration that can stay within that quota. The listed Pro inclusions do not repeat the Free plan’s feature list, so buyers should confirm which capabilities carry over before upgrading. The pricing note also offers a 3-day trial.

Enterprise has custom pricing and unlimited API calls, dedicated support, a 99.99% SLA, volume discounts, and custom integrations. It suits organizations that need an SLA or tailored integration and can negotiate a contract; custom export formats and an on-premise option are marked Coming Soon, so they are not current capabilities to plan around.

Platforms

ShipVAT is available as an API and on the web. The API suits teams with development capacity; a web presence alone does not make it a no-code alternative to integrating tax logic into a product.

Who it's for

ShipVAT makes sense for developers and businesses selling across jurisdictions that want calculation, validation, nexus intelligence, and related compliance workflows in one API. It is less suited to teams without engineering resources, businesses with call needs beyond Free that cannot budget $49/month, or buyers seeking a ready-made filing service rather than API tools.

Pros and cons

Pros: 93 jurisdictions and named official data sources, with rate provenance that helps teams inspect the basis and timing of rates.

Pros: Free includes validation, management, and reporting tools, not just tax calculation, giving small integrations room to evaluate a wider workflow.

Pros: SDK, OpenAPI, Swagger UI, and curl examples support different developer preferences, while payment-stack flexibility avoids locking the API to one provider.

Cons: Free is capped at 100 calls/month, far below Pro’s 50,000, so a growing integration may need to upgrade quickly.

Cons: Pro’s price is a recurring $49/month and Enterprise pricing is custom, making costs less predictable as requirements grow.

Cons: The service is API-centered, which means a team needs engineering capacity to put it to work.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, browse Sales Tax Software or Tax Engine Software.

Choose Yonda Tax when free nexus determination and worldwide tax-liability calculations, with tax advice and support, matter more than ShipVAT’s stated API workflow tools.

Zamp is another option for teams seeking tax-exposure clarity, with a 30-day sandbox; its U.S. plan is aimed at audit-ready compliance while scaling.

Consider AccurateTax if sales tax calculations, usage reports, and 99.99% uptime across major shopping carts are the priorities, or its fully managed service is a better fit.

Taxually is worth considering for specific authority-payment and yearly-reporting needs, with plans priced per payment or per year.

Pick CCH SureTax when you want to compare technology-only, file-and-remit, and fully outsourced service models.

DAVO Sales Tax is a web-based option centered on daily tax set-asides, automated return filing, and tax payments.

Kintsugi may suit API users focused on global physical and economic nexus monitoring, exposure auditing, and risk assessment on a free plan.

For a certificate-management-specific alternative, consider ONESOURCE Certificate Manager.

Verdict

Choose ShipVAT if your team can integrate an API and needs broad jurisdiction coverage, traceable rates, and supporting tax workflows alongside calculation. Its free tier is unusually broad in included tools but too tightly capped for sustained volume; look elsewhere if you need managed filing or prefer a turnkey service, and budget for Pro once 100 monthly calls no longer suffice.