# Apply a Tax Table to an Auction

Once your organization has a tax table
[set up](/set-up-an-organization-tax-table/), you turn it on **per auction**
from the auction's Financial settings. Auctions without a table attached are
completely unaffected — nothing about their tax behavior changes.

## Set the auction's location first

A tax table can only be applied to an auction that has a **location** set in the
auction's settings. The location is used for in-room (point-of-sale) tax and to
validate the table.

- **Country** is always required.
- **State/province** is also required when the country has states/provinces (for
  example the US and Canada). Countries without subnational regions need only a
  country.

If the auction has no location yet, the tax toggle appears **disabled** with a
message and a link to set the location. Set the location, then return to the
Financial tab.

## Turn on the tax table

1. Open the auction and go to the **Financial** tab.
2. Find the **Taxes** section.
3. Turn on **Use organization tax table** — *"Apply a tax table's rates during
   checkout instead of each item's own tax rate."*
4. Choose the table from the **Tax table** picker (**Select a tax table…**).
   - If your organization has exactly one table, it's selected automatically.
   - If you have several, pick the one you want.
   - If you have none, you'll be prompted to create one first.

![The Taxes section on an auction's Financial tab, with "Use organization tax table" turned on and a table selected in the picker. "Require an address to pay" is switched on automatically.](/tax-tables/auction-financial-taxes-section.png)

## "Require an address to pay" turns on automatically

When a tax table is attached, **Require an address to pay** is switched **on and
locked**. This is required so the bidder's address can determine the correct tax
rate at checkout. See
[Why Bidders Are Asked for an Address at Checkout](/why-bidders-are-asked-for-an-address-at-checkout/).

## Which items get taxed

Tax is **opt-in per item**. With a table attached, an item is taxed **only if
its tax setting uses a taxable base** (its "Tax Against" is set to a taxable
option). Items set to **No Tax** — the default for new items — and items with no
tax setting are **not** taxed. Tickets, appeals, and puzzles are never taxed.

Attaching a table does not suddenly tax everything: you still control, per item,
what is taxable.

## Detaching

To stop using the table, turn **Use organization tax table** off. You can't
delete a table while any auction still has it attached.

## Copies of an auction

If you copy an auction, the tax-table selection copies with it (within the same
organization). Review the Financial tab of the copy to confirm the location and
table are correct before going live.

## Related articles

- [Set Up an Organization Tax Table](/set-up-an-organization-tax-table/)
- [Tax Overrides and Where Tax Appears in Reports](/tax-overrides-and-tax-reporting/)