Free supports one active percentage rule from the core provider. It applies to the discounted room subtotal. Free does not provide multiple rules, fixed charges or a services scope; those are Pro capabilities.
Save the rule
- Open Hotel Booking → Tax Settings.
- Decide whether Enable taxes should calculate tax for new bookings.
- Enter Tax name, for example
VAT, and a Percentage rate from 0 to 100. - Select Active when the rule is ready.
- Under Prices entered with tax, select the checkbox only when room prices already include this percentage tax.
- Choose Frontend price display as Including tax or Excluding tax.
- Select Save Tax Settings and verify the success notice.
Use the site’s legal tax guidance for the name and rate. Inclusive mode extracts the tax portion from the taxable amount; exclusive mode adds the rounded tax line to the total. The settings affect new quotes, not existing booking snapshots.
Verify
Run a private search with a known room subtotal and compare the displayed subtotal, tax and grand total. Create one controlled test booking, then open Hotel Booking → Bookings and confirm the tax line and currency. Change the display preference afterward only if the business policy requires it; do not expect the test booking’s saved total to change.
If the setting cannot be saved, check capability, nonce and rate validation. Do not attempt to create a second core rule or modify hb_tax_rules directly. For multiple taxes, services or fixed charges, review Pro tax rules.