=== Keystep EU VAT Suite for WooCommerce ===
Contributors: shasan7774
Tags: woocommerce, eu vat, vies, oss, reverse charge
Requires at least: 6.4
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 8.1
Stable tag: 0.1.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Correct EU VAT for WooCommerce: accurate destination rates, resilient VIES validation, and B2B reverse-charge.

== Description ==

Keystep EU VAT Suite makes your WooCommerce store charge the correct EU VAT on every order, automatically.

* **Correct destination VAT** for B2C customers across all 27 EU member states, based on the customer's billing country.
* **B2B reverse-charge** — EU business VAT numbers are validated against the official VIES service and zero-rated when valid.
* **Resilient at checkout** — if the VIES service is slow or unavailable, checkout still completes: the order is charged standard VAT and flagged for your review, so a sale is never lost and an unverified number is never silently zero-rated.
* **Block and classic checkout** — the VAT-number field is registered through WooCommerce's Additional Checkout Fields API, so it appears in both.
* **HPOS-compatible** — works with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage.
* **Coexists with your tax setup** — it adds the EU standard rates that are missing and never overwrites rates you have already configured. Reduced-rate products use WooCommerce's own Reduced-rate tax class, which you configure.

This plugin is a calculation and compliance tool. You remain responsible for your own VAT registration and filings.

= Pro add-on =

OSS return reporting, the EUR 10,000 distance-selling threshold tracker, and audit CSV export are available in a separate Keystep EU VAT Suite Pro add-on, distributed from https://shasan7774.github.io/eu-vat-suite/ and not hosted on WordPress.org. The free plugin above is fully functional on its own.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin to `wp-content/plugins/` (or install via the Plugins screen) and activate it. WooCommerce must be active.
2. In WooCommerce > Settings > General, make sure **"Enable tax rates and calculations"** is on. The plugin will prompt you if it is off.
3. The plugin imports the current EU standard VAT rates into your WooCommerce tax tables on activation. You can re-import any time from **WooCommerce > Settings > Tax > Keystep EU VAT Suite**.
4. Done — correct EU VAT is applied at checkout.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= What happens if VIES is down during checkout? =

Checkout still completes. Rather than breaking the page or wrongly zero-rating an unverified business, the plugin charges standard VAT and flags the order for your review, so you never lose a sale and never under-collect.

= Does it support the block-based checkout? =

Yes. The VAT-number field is registered through WooCommerce's Additional Checkout Fields API, so it appears in both the block checkout and the classic checkout.

= What about reduced-rate products (books, food, etc.)? =

The plugin manages the EU **standard** rates automatically. For reduced-rate items, assign them to WooCommerce's built-in "Reduced rate" tax class and set the rate there — the plugin never touches rates you've configured yourself.

= Does it change my store settings automatically? =

No. It imports EU VAT rates (which is its job), but it never silently changes your currency, country, or tax status. If tax calculation is off, it shows a notice asking you to enable it — your choice.

= When do I need OSS and the EUR 10,000 threshold? =

If your total cross-border B2C sales to other EU countries stay under EUR 10,000 per year, you may charge your home country's VAT rate. Once you pass EUR 10,000 — counted across all EU countries combined, not per country — you must charge each customer's destination VAT rate and report it through the EU One-Stop-Shop (OSS) return. This free plugin applies the correct destination rates automatically. The separate Keystep EU VAT Suite Pro add-on adds a threshold tracker and a ready-made OSS report so you can see when you cross the line and file.

= Is this tax advice? =

No. Keystep EU VAT Suite is a calculation and compliance tool. You remain responsible for your own VAT registration and filings.

== External services ==

To apply B2B reverse-charge correctly, this plugin validates EU business VAT numbers against **VIES** (the VAT Information Exchange System), an official service operated by the European Commission.

* **When it is called:** only when a customer enters a VAT number at checkout. Results are cached to minimise repeat calls, and the service is never contacted for consumer (B2C) orders.
* **What is sent:** the VAT number the customer enters, together with its two-letter country code. No name, address, order contents, or other personal data is transmitted.
* **Why:** to confirm the VAT number is genuine so a valid EU business can be correctly zero-rated under the reverse-charge rules.
* **Provider:** European Commission — VIES. Service, terms and legal/disclaimer information: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/

The plugin contacts no other third-party services.

== Screenshots ==

1. The VAT-number field at checkout.
2. Keystep EU VAT Suite settings under WooCommerce > Settings > Tax.

== Changelog ==

= 0.1.0 =
* Initial release: destination VAT rates, resilient VIES validation, B2B reverse-charge, block + classic checkout field, and settings.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 0.1.0 =
First release.
