Tax Rules
1. What a Tax Rule Is
Tax Rule (HaloPSA) – an automation that, at the instant an invoice is saved or regenerated, evaluates defined conditions (Top Level, Item Group, etc.) and writes the correct tax onto each invoice line.
Essentials
• Runs only on Save / Regenerate.
• More-specific rules outrank broader ones.
• Tax is written permanently; amounts will not change unless the invoice is regenerated.
2. Core Building Blocks
Element | Purpose at DTC | Example |
---|---|---|
Top Level | Combines Industry + Region/State to drive automations |
(dental offices in Maryland) |
Item Group | Restricts tax to certain product families |
(technology-service contracts) |
Tax Rule | Stores rate + conditions; executes on save/regenerate | 3 % tax for
technology services |
3. Production Tax Rules (Current)
- Virginia – 0 % on technology services → Top Level
Dental VA
- Maryland – 3 % on technology services → Top Level
Dental MD
- Guardian Dentistry Partners – VA sites → Site-specific override
- Guardian Dentistry Partners – MD sites → Site-specific override
Validation tip: Create and save a sample invoice; inspect line-item tax amounts and totals.
4. Feature Gaps & Work-arounds
Need | Current Work-around | Status |
---|---|---|
Region-code filtering in Tax Rules | Separate site-specific rules for multi-state clients | Not yet supported (feature request logged) |
Additional Top Levels for non-dental industries | Temporarily map to state-based dental Top Levels so tax applies |
and
Top Levels created |
5. Lifecycle & Recalculation Rules
Scenario | Required action | Reason |
---|---|---|
Recurring invoice line items | Enable Recalculate Tax on each line | Without it, lines keep original tax after rule changes |
Templates & recurring profiles | After any rule change, open the profile → activate Recalculate Tax → save | Flag lives on the template; not retro-applied |
Invoices already generated | Use Regenerate (or recreate) so new rules apply | Taxes are applied only at generation |
Draft one-off invoices | Save again to trigger rule evaluation | Save recalculates tax |
6. Known UI / Logic Quirks
- The Client/Site “Tax Rule” status column may lag behind actual rule execution; always verify by viewing the saved invoice lines.
7. Operational Checklist
- Onboarding
• Assign the most specific Top Level.
• Place taxable products in the correct Item Group. - Testing
• Generate & save a sample invoice; verify tax lines.
• For recurring profiles, toggle Recalculate Tax and test. - When Tax Rules change
• Update Templates/Recurring Invoices: ensure Recalculate Tax is enabled.
• Regenerate outstanding invoices that must reflect new rules. - Rule maintenance
• Keep the rule list lean—one rule per distinct scenario.
• Document site-level overrides until Region-code support arrives. - Permissions
• Only staff with Tax Rule rights should create or edit rules.