USgeocoder API

Main Data Sources and Updates

USPS Database
Monthly Update
US Census TIGER
Database 2010-2025

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USgeocoder Sales and Use Tax API

By utilizing our geocoding capability, USgeocoder provides address-based sales and use tax rate information with the highest accuracy. Through USgeocoder API service, we provide real-time tax rate and jurisdiction information for your online applications.

Sales and Use Tax API Solves Thorny Problems in Correctly Calculating Sales and Use Tax Rates

Sales and use tax are levied by state and local districts such as county, city and special districts.

Most off-the-shelf shopping cart and accounting software programs use either zip codes or city names to determine sales tax rates. But sometimes zip codes cross city and/or county boundaries, or they pay no attention to special districts. Their imprecision in this regard can make for flawed calculations and errors in the sales tax amounts assessed.

In addition, the city name to which your product will be delivered is a postal city name, which may not reside within the incorporated taxing entity's jurisdiction. Neither city nor zip code systems can determine with certainty, whether an address in a particular zip code is within a city or an unincorporated area.

In some states, there are special districts consisting of parts of one or more regular districts. Some of the regular districts in question may be located entirely within the special district, while some may span beyond the boundaries of the special district.

For these reasons, more and more companies are adopting geocoding methods to calculate sales and use tax rates.

How the USgeocoder Geocoding Solution Delivers Unparalleled Accuracy for Sales and Use Tax Rates

As one of the few OEM geocoders in the country, a core competency of USgeocoder is in matching an address to its jurisdictions using Geographic Information Systems technology.

USgeocoder uses proprietary methods to geocode a physical address to its USPS delivery point, its TIGER location, or the center of its parcel. Then, it is mapped to county, municipality, and special district boundaries. Afterwards, it "talks with" the most current tax rate database that we maintain for each state to provide your shopping cart or accounting system with the most precise and up-to-date tax rates. USgeocoder can also work with geocodes (latitude and longitude) directly to produce the same taxing jurisdiction and tax rate information.

California Sales and Use Tax

California is the first state that we started with offering sales and use tax rate information. Being a native Californian company, we understand how complicated California sales and use tax rules are. We designed a special structure for California merchants. And then, we took this design and expanded it nationwide.

According to the CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TAX AND FEE ADMINISTRATION's Publication 105: ( https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub105/#special)

In California, the total tax rate in effect in a special tax district (statewide rate + district rate) generally applies to sales delivered or shipped into the district. However, if you are not engaged in business in the district, you are not required to collect the district use tax. Instead, you may calculate the tax due on your sale at the statewide rate of 7.25 percent (see "Courtesy collection of district use tax," below). You are considered to be engaged in business in a special tax district and must report and pay district use tax.

To comply with the Wayfair decision, ( https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-494_j4el.pdf), on April 25, 2019, California passed Assembly Bill No. (AB) 147 that requires all retailers, whether located inside or outside of California, to collect district use tax on all sales made for delivery in any district that imposes a district tax if the total combined sales exceed $500,000 during the preceding or current calendar year.

Tax Rate Calculation Modules

We developed "Mandatory Collection" and "Total Collection" modules to calculate sales and use tax rates. The "Mandatory Collection" module is for California merchants who sell less than $500,000 worth of goods within the same calendar year. The "Total Collection" module is for California and Out-of-State merchants who sell more than $500,000 inside or into California within the same calendar year.

Our Mandatory Collection module automatically compares your business' locations with each delivery address and produces the correct tax rate for each. If your company has no presence in the destination jurisdiction or district, USgeocoder provides only the statewide tax rate and shows "collection not required" for each county and city which the shipment is delivered to. If the delivery address is within the same jurisdiction as your business, USgeocoder returns all applicable state, county, and city district sales tax rates for the delivery address.

With our "Total Collection" module, USgeocoder determines the tax rate on each sale based solely on shipping destination, regardless of where the seller is located. We return all applicable statewide, county and city district sales taxes for the destination location.

Both formats provide tax code information when applicable.

Sample API Data Output

XML

<Array>
    <usgeocoder>
        <request_status>
            <request_address>4820 Bonny Doon Rd, 95060</request_address>
            <request_status_code flags="">Success</request_status_code>
            <request_status_code_description>Both street address and zip code were found</request_status_code_description>
            <request_status_version>13.0620</request_status_version>
        </request_status>
        <totalcollection_tax_summary>
            <t_tax_summary_status>Match Found</t_tax_summary_status>
            <t_tax_total_tax>9.00%</t_tax_total_tax>
            <t_tax_state_jurisction_name>CA</t_tax_state_jurisction_name>
            <t_tax_state_tax>7.25%</t_tax_state_tax>
            <t_tax_county_jurisdiction_name>Santa Cruz</t_tax_county_jurisdiction_name>
            <t_tax_county_tax>1.25%</t_tax_county_tax>
            <t_tax_city_jurisdiction_name>Un-incorporated</t_tax_city_jurisdiction_name>
            <t_tax_city_tax>0.00%</t_tax_city_tax>
            <t_tax_special_district_tax>0.50%</t_tax_special_district_tax>
            <t_tax_incorporated_city>Un-incorporated</t_tax_incorporated_city>
            <t_tax_code>44998</t_tax_code>
        </totalcollection_tax_summary>
        <mandatorycollection_tax_summary>
            <m_tax_summary_status>Match Found</m_tax_summary_status>
            <m_tax_business_address>
                <business_address_1>1591 Williamsport Dr, 95131</business_address_1>
                <business_address_2>271 La Cuesta Dr, 95066</business_address_2>
            </m_tax_business_address>
            <m_tax_total_tax>9.00%</m_tax_total_tax>
            <m_tax_state_jurisction_name>CA</m_tax_state_jurisction_name>
            <m_tax_state_tax>7.25%</m_tax_state_tax>
            <m_tax_county_jurisdiction_name>Santa Cruz</m_tax_county_jurisdiction_name>
            <m_tax_county_tax>1.25%</m_tax_county_tax>
            <m_tax_city_jurisdiction_name>Un-incorporated</m_tax_city_jurisdiction_name>
            <m_tax_city_tax>Collections Not Required</m_tax_city_tax>
            <m_tax_special_district_tax>0.50%</m_tax_special_district_tax>
            <m_tax_incorporated_city>Un-incorporated</m_tax_incorporated_city>
            <m_tax_code>44998</m_tax_code>
        </mandatorycollection_tax_summary>
    </usgeocoder>
</Array>

JSON

{
    "usgeocoder": {
        "request_status": {
            "request_address": "1591 Williamsport Drive, 95131",
            "request_status_code": {
                "flags": "",
                "value": "Success"
            },
            "request_status_code_description": "Both street address and zip code were found",
            "request_status_version": "13.0620"
        },
        "totalcollection_tax_summary": {
            "t_tax_summary_status": "Match Found",
            "t_tax_total_tax": "9.250%",
            "t_tax_state_jurisction_name": "CA",
            "t_tax_state_tax": "7.250%",
            "t_tax_county_jurisdiction_name": "Santa Clara",
            "t_tax_county_tax": "1.750%",
            "t_tax_city_jurisdiction_name": "San Jose",
            "t_tax_city_tax": "0.250%",
            "t_tax_incorporated_city": "San Jose",
            "t_tax_code": "43060"
        },
        "mandatorycollection_tax_summary": {
            "m_tax_summary_status": "Match Found",
            "m_tax_business_address": {
                "business_address_1": "1591 Williamsport Dr, 95131"
            },
            "m_tax_total_tax": "9.250%",
            "m_tax_state_jurisction_name": "CA",
            "m_tax_state_tax": "7.250%",
            "m_tax_county_jurisdiction_name": "Santa Clara",
            "m_tax_county_tax": "1.750%",
            "m_tax_city_jurisdiction_name": "San Jose",
            "m_tax_city_tax": "0.250%",
            "m_tax_incorporated_city": "San Jose"
        }
    }
}

Conclusion

For more information about the USgeocoder API check out the USgeocoder API Integration Guide.
To retrieve the Sales and Use Tax information for a particular address, go ahead and take a test drive with our Live Demo. You can also take a look at the sample API data output.
To get started using the USgeocoder API, signup for a free 2-week API trial account now!