tax_category
An alternative tax classification when the standard tax field doesn't capture nuance. Used for products with non-standard tax treatment (reduced VAT, exempt, zero-rated).
Also known as: tax_class
Channel support
| Channel | Status | Field name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Merchant Center | Optional | tax_category | — Docs → |
| Meta Commerce Manager | Not supported | — | — |
| TikTok Shop | Not supported | — | — |
| Pinterest Catalog | Not supported | — | — |
| Amazon | Optional | product_tax_code | — |
| Bing Merchant Center | Optional | tax_category | — |
Why it matters
Some products fall under special tax categories (children's clothing zero-VAT in the UK, food items in many regions). tax_category lets the catalog reflect that, so checkout calculations stay accurate.
Tax_category handles non-standard tax treatments — reduced VAT, zero-rated, exempt categories. Where the standard tax field encodes the rate, tax_category encodes which category the item belongs to, letting Google apply category-specific rate rules.
The use case: children's clothing in the UK (zero-VAT), books in many regions (reduced rate), food products (varied treatment by region). Without the category declaration, items get default tax treatment which over-charges in zero-rated cases.
For most items in most regions, neither tax nor tax_category is needed — account-level tax settings handle the common cases. Both fields are for items with special treatment. The discipline: populate where genuinely needed; don't add for items that fit the default.
Format rules
-
Channel-specific predefined categories (Google publishes its list)
Applies to: Google Merchant Center, Bing Merchant Center
Valid examples
children's clothing Zero-VAT category in UK
books Reduced-rate category in many regions
Common mistakes
tax-exempt Free-form claim — must match a predefined category
Related fields
tax Tax information per region. Primarily required for US Merchant Center feeds where sales tax varies by state. Most other regions handle tax via Merchant Center account settings or destination VAT rules.
Read moreprice The product's standard selling price including the currency code. The single field every shopping channel reads first — wrong prices, wrong currency, or mismatches against the landing page break delivery outright.
Read moreCommon issues involving this field
FAQ
Different from the tax field?
Tax field encodes the rate. tax_category encodes which category the item is, letting Google apply rate rules. For most items, neither is needed — defaults work. Both are used for items with special tax treatment.
Last reviewed: 26 May 2026
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