How to Show WooCommerce Prices Both With and Without VAT (SEO-Friendly Guide)
Introduction:
Running an online store with WooCommerce often requires navigating the complexities of Value Added Tax (VAT). Depending on your target audience and legal requirements, you might need to display prices both with and without VAT. This allows customers to see exactly how much tax they’re paying and compare prices across different regions more easily. This guide will walk you through the various methods you can use to achieve this, ensuring a smooth and transparent shopping experience for your customers. We’ll explore options ranging from built-in WooCommerce settings to code snippets and plugins, helping you choose the best approach for your specific needs and technical skills. Ultimately, showing prices both with and without VAT can increase transparency, build trust, and improve conversions on your WooCommerce store.
Why Show Both Prices?
Before diving into the “how,” let’s quickly address the “why.” Displaying prices with and without VAT caters Read more about How To Import Product From Any Website With Woocommerce to different customer segments:
- B2C (Business to Consumer): Customers often prefer seeing the final price inclusive of VAT, making it Learn more about How To Add Special Product Attributes In Woocommerce easier to understand the total cost.
- B2B (Business to Business): Businesses require seeing the price excluding VAT to calculate their own tax liabilities.
- International Customers: Showing both prices clarifies the tax component, especially for customers in regions with different VAT rates or no VAT at all.
- Prices entered with tax: Choose whether you enter product prices with or without VAT. This is a fundamental setting that influences how WooCommerce calculates and displays prices.
- Calculate tax based on: Determine where the tax is calculated from (customer shipping address, billing address, or shop base address).
- Display prices in the shop: Choose whether to display prices including or excluding VAT on shop and category pages.
- Display prices during cart and checkout: Choose whether to display Learn more about How To Get Rid Of Cart Icon In Woocommerce prices including or excluding VAT during the cart and checkout processes.
- Price display suffix: You can add a text suffix to the price to clarify if it includes VAT. For example: “inc. VAT”
Main Part: Displaying Prices With and Without VAT in WooCommerce
There are several ways to display prices with and without VAT in WooCommerce. Let’s explore the most common and effective methods:
1. Leveraging Built-In WooCommerce Settings
WooCommerce offers some basic settings for managing VAT display, although it doesn’t directly show both prices simultaneously out-of-the-box. You can find these settings under WooCommerce > Settings > Tax.
While these settings are crucial for overall tax management, they don’t provide the side-by-side display of both prices that we’re aiming for. For that, we need to consider other approaches.
2. Using a Code Snippet (for Developers)
If you’re comfortable with code, you can use a custom code snippet to display both prices. This involves adding a function to your theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippets plugin. Always back up your website before making any code changes!
<?php /**
function custom_price_format( $price, $product ) {
$price_excl_tax = wc_get_price_excluding_tax( $product );
$price_incl_tax = wc_get_price_including_tax( $product );
if ( $price_excl_tax != $price_incl_tax ) { // Avoid showing duplicate prices if tax is zero
$price .= ‘
Excl. VAT: ‘ . wc_price( $price_excl_tax ) . ‘‘;
}
return $price;
}
?>
Explanation:
- This code snippet uses the `woocommerce_get_price_html` filter, which allows you to modify the HTML output of the product price.
- It retrieves the price both including and excluding VAT using `wc_get_price_excluding_tax()` and `wc_get_price_including_tax()`.
- It then appends a `` tag containing the price excluding VAT below the original price.
- It only displays the excl. VAT price if it differs from the incl. VAT price (to avoid redundancy when no VAT is applicable).
You can further customize the styling with CSS (targeting the `price-excl-tax` class) to match your theme’s design.
Important Considerations for Code Snippets:
- Theme Updates: Directly modifying your theme’s `functions.php` file can cause issues when the theme is updated. Consider using a child theme or a code snippets plugin to avoid losing your changes.
- Compatibility: Ensure the code is compatible with your version of WooCommerce and any other plugins you’re using.
3. Utilizing WooCommerce Plugins
Several plugins are designed to simplify the process of displaying prices with and without VAT. These plugins often provide more flexibility and user-friendly configuration options.
- WooCommerce Prices with Tax: This type of plugin typically allows you to easily add labels showing both prices on product pages, cart, and checkout.
- EU VAT Compliance Plugins: Some VAT compliance plugins include the functionality to display both prices as part of their broader VAT handling features. Research plugins that suit your specific regional requirements.
When choosing a plugin, consider the following:
- Reviews and Ratings: Check the plugin’s reviews and ratings to gauge its reliability and user satisfaction.
- Features: Make sure the plugin offers the features you need, such as customizability of labels and display locations.
- Compatibility: Confirm that the plugin is compatible with your WooCommerce version and other installed Discover insights on Woocommerce How To Make Paypal Option First In Checkout plugins.
- Support: Look for plugins with good support in case you encounter any issues.
4. Custom Theme Development
For complete control over the display, you can consider custom theme development. This requires in-depth knowledge of WooCommerce templates and PHP. You would modify the specific template files Read more about Woocommerce How To See Abandoned Cart responsible for displaying product prices to include both prices with and without VAT. This option is typically only suitable for developers or those willing to hire one.
Conclusion:
Displaying WooCommerce prices both with and without VAT is essential for transparency and catering to a diverse customer base. Whether you opt for built-in settings combined with suffixes, code snippets, or dedicated plugins, the key is to choose a method that aligns with your technical expertise and business needs. Remember to always test your changes thoroughly to ensure prices are displayed accurately and consistently across your store. By implementing these strategies, you can provide a clearer shopping experience, build trust with your customers, and ultimately boost your sales and revenue.