Introduction
Automatic Tax / VAT handling allows Cademy to calculate and apply VAT at checkout automatically, based on:
where your business is registered,
whether the customer is an individual or a business,
the customer’s billing country,
and the type of course being sold.
Once enabled, VAT is calculated in real time during checkout and shown automatically in all price summaries. Course providers do not need to manually apply or adjust VAT per booking.
This article explains:
how to enable Automatic Tax / VAT Handling,
how VAT is calculated at checkout,
how course-level tax settings work,
what customers see,
and common setup and troubleshooting questions.
Availability and requirements
Automatic Tax / VAT Handling is available on:
Teams plan
Enterprise plan
It is currently supported for businesses registered in:
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Enabling Automatic Tax / VAT Handling
Step 1: Enable Tax / VAT at account level
Path: Settings → Payments → Tax / VAT
Steps:
Enable Tax / VAT
Enable Automatic Tax / VAT Handling (BETA)
Select your Country of tax registration
United Kingdom, or
Netherlands
Save changes
Once enabled, Cademy automatically applies the correct VAT logic at checkout.
Course-level tax configuration
Tax Course Type
Different course types may have different VAT treatment.
Path: Courses → select a course → Settings → Payments
Here you can configure:
Tax Course Type (e.g. training service)
This overrides the default tax behaviour for that specific course
Use this when:
selling different types of courses (in-person, online, on-demand),
or when tax treatment differs by course format.
How VAT is calculated at checkout
VAT is calculated automatically during checkout using:
the billing country entered by the customer,
whether the customer registers as an individual or a business,
your tax registration country,
and the course tax type.
VAT updates instantly if the customer changes:
billing country,
or registration type (individual ↔ business).
VAT rules applied automatically
Individuals (private customers)
VAT is always added, regardless of customer location.
Business customers
Business in the same country as the course provider
VAT is added
Business in the EU (cross-border)
VAT is not added
Reverse charge applies
VAT ID validation is not required for checkout to complete
Business outside the EU
VAT is not added
What customers see at checkout
During checkout:
VAT appears automatically in the price summary
VAT recalculates in real time
On the confirmation page:
VAT is shown correctly in the final total
Customers receive a standard confirmation email
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is VAT being added automatically?
Why is VAT being added automatically?
Because Automatic Tax / VAT Handling is enabled and the customer’s details require VAT to be applied.
Why does VAT change when the billing country changes?
Why does VAT change when the billing country changes?
VAT is calculated using the billing country entered at checkout. Changing the country updates the VAT calculation instantly.
Why is VAT not applied to a business customer?
Why is VAT not applied to a business customer?
Because the business qualifies for VAT exemption based on location (for example, EU reverse charge or non-EU business).
Can customers complete checkout without a VAT number?
Can customers complete checkout without a VAT number?
Yes.
VAT ID validation is not required for checkout at this stage. The transaction will still complete successfully.
Can I override VAT behaviour per course?
Can I override VAT behaviour per course?
Yes.
You can override VAT behaviour using Tax Course Type:
Path: Courses → select a course → Settings → Payments
Why is VAT not applied even though Tax / VAT is enabled?
Why is VAT not applied even though Tax / VAT is enabled?
Check the following:
Automatic Tax / VAT Handling is enabled
A tax registration country is selected
The customer is not a VAT-exempt business
The course tax type is set correctly
Is Automatic Tax / VAT Handling available on all plans?
Is Automatic Tax / VAT Handling available on all plans?
No.
It is available only on Teams and Enterprise plans.