Install Guide

Get VapeTax running on your BigCommerce store in about 10 minutes.

1

Install VapeTax from the BigCommerce App Marketplace

  1. Log into your BigCommerce control panel.
  2. Go to Apps → Marketplace and search for VapeTax.
  3. Click Install. BigCommerce will ask you to confirm the required permissions.
  4. After confirming, VapeTax will install and open inside your control panel.

What happens on install: VapeTax creates your account, pre-loads all 50 states + DC with current excise tax rules, sets up sales tax rules, and starts a 14-day free trial with full access to all features.

2

Sync Your Product Catalog

  1. Open VapeTax from Apps in your BigCommerce control panel.
  2. Go to the Products tab.
  3. Click Sync Catalog. VapeTax will pull your entire product catalog including all variants.

This typically takes a few seconds. Products appear in a grouped list with parent products and their variants.

3

Classify Your Products

After syncing, each product needs to be classified so VapeTax knows how to tax it. Click Classify on each product (or Classify All on a parent to cascade to all variants).

  • Open Liquid — Refillable e-liquid bottles (30mL, 60mL, 100mL). Set the volume in mL.
  • Closed Pod — Pre-filled pods or cartridge packs (JUUL, Vuse). Set volume and cartridge count.
  • Closed Disposable — Single-use disposable vapes (Elf Bar, Lost Mary). Set volume.
  • Device — Mods, batteries, tanks, starter kits. Not taxable.
  • Accessory — Coils, chargers, drip tips. Not taxable.

For non-vape products (merchandise, etc.), use the Ignore button to exclude them from tax calculation entirely.

Volume matters: States that use per-mL tax rates (Delaware, Ohio, Rhode Island, etc.) need the volume field set correctly. States with volume thresholds (Maryland at 5mL, Nebraska at 3mL) also depend on this field.

Nicotine flag: Washington state taxes nicotine and non-nicotine products at different rates. Set the nicotine toggle correctly for WA compliance.

4

Review Your Tax Rules

  1. Go to the Tax Rules tab.
  2. All 50 states + DC are listed with their default rates and methods.
  3. Review the rules for the states where you have nexus (where you collect tax).
  4. Toggle states on or off using the switch.
  5. Click Edit on any state to customize the method, rate, system type, volume thresholds, or nicotine settings.

Important: VapeTax provides default rules based on Tax Foundation 2026 data. You are responsible for verifying that the rates are correct for your business. Tax rules change — check with your tax advisor or state revenue department for the latest rates.

5

Set Your Markup Percentages

  1. Go to the Markup tab.
  2. Set your wholesale and retail markup percentages.

Some states calculate tax as a percentage of the retail or wholesale price. If your BigCommerce products already have accurate retail prices, VapeTax uses those directly. The markup percentages are a fallback for states that need a price basis when one isn't available from your catalog.

6

Connect VapeTax as Your Tax Provider

  1. Go to the Settings tab in VapeTax.
  2. Under Tax Provider Connection, click Register Connection.
  3. In your BigCommerce control panel, go to Settings → Tax.
  4. Under Tax Provider, select VapeTax from the dropdown.
  5. Save your settings.

One provider at a time: BigCommerce only allows one tax provider per store. If you're currently using another provider (Avalara, TaxJar, etc.), it will be replaced by VapeTax. VapeTax handles both excise and sales tax.

7

Test Your Checkout

  1. Place a test order with a classified vape product.
  2. At checkout, enter a shipping address in a state with active excise tax rules.
  3. Verify that the tax line items appear correctly.
  4. Check that devices and accessories show $0 excise tax.
  5. Try different states to confirm bifurcated rules and volume thresholds work.
8

Subscribe Before Your Trial Ends

Your 14-day free trial gives you full access to all features. Before it expires, go to the Settings tab and click Choose Base ($49.99/mo) or Choose Pro ($99.99/mo) to continue using VapeTax.

If your trial expires without subscribing, VapeTax returns $0 tax on all estimates. Your checkout still works — just without tax calculation. You can subscribe at any time to resume.