Request tax-exempt invoices
Your business might qualify for a sales tax, VAT, or GST exemption if it meets certain conditions, usually if it's registered for VAT or GST, or if it holds a valid tax exemption certificate.
This article covers tax exemption.
If you only need your tax ID to show on your invoices for identification purposes or record-keeping, see Change billing invoice details. For general questions about how sales tax works on your Canva invoices, see General sales tax. This article focuses on how to request a tax exemption for your business.
Adding a Tax ID in your Billing settings is separate from requesting a tax exemption. A non-exempt Tax ID only appears on invoices and does not remove applicable taxes.
How do I provide my tax identification number?
Tax exemption requests can only be submitted via the Canva website. This feature is not available on the Canva mobile app.
You can update or add your tax identification details in your Canva account.
- On the homepage, select your account profile to open the menu.
- ChooseSettings.
- In the side panel, select Billing.
- Scroll down to the Billing details section.
- Select Add details or Update.
- Under Tax ID, enter your Tax ID. Then select Request tax exemption.
- From the Issuing Country dropdown, choose your country. Automated tax ID validation is available only in selected countries. If your country isn’t listed, follow the steps under How do I submit my sales tax exemption certificate? below.
- Enter your entity name and tax ID.
- Select Request.
The tax exemption will apply only to invoices issued after you submit your details.
If you need a VAT or GST correction for past invoices, contact our support team. We can only modify the most recent or previous month's invoice in limited cases.
If your country isn't supported yet in Settings, our support team may be able to grant you a tax exemption. Please prepare the following details before requesting a tax-exempt invoice.
If you're VAT/GST registered with a tax ID:
- VAT number
- Proof of business
- Date of request
- Name of requestor
- Type of Canva product
- Invoice number
If you hold a sales tax exemption certificate:
- Client name
- Client contact person
- State
- Original invoice
- Proof of tax exemption
Why is my tax ID showing as invalid?
We check your tax ID against your local tax authority’s database. We can only grant tax exemptions / apply tax zero-rating and remove tax from your invoice if your tax authority confirms that your number is valid.
Make sure you’ve entered the correct number, using the right format for your country.
Canva can’t provide tax advice. If you’re unsure whether your number is active or valid, check with your local tax authority.
If you’re in the EU, we use the VIES database to validate VAT numbers. You can also check it yourself on the VIES website.
How do I submit my sales tax exemption certificate?
You can send your sales tax exemption certificate along with your invoice number to our support team. If your certificate is valid, we’ll update your account and refund any sales tax charged on your most recent invoice.
Make sure your certificate meets the requirements from your local tax authority. You’ll usually need to include Canva’s business name and address:
- For US customers: Canva US, Inc. - 3212 E. Cesar Chavez Street, Building 1, Suite 1300, Austin, TX 78702
- For all other customers: Canva Pty Ltd - 110 Kippax Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia
If you're in the US, you can download exemption certificates from your state tax authority. Here are some of the most common states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Canva can’t offer tax advice, so if you’re unsure whether you’re eligible for an exemption, it’s best to check in with your local tax advisor.
What happens if my sales tax exemption certificate expires or my sales tax registration status changes?
We periodically review tax IDs and exemption certificates to make sure they’re still valid. If we see that your certificate has expired or your tax ID is no longer valid, your account may be updated automatically and sales tax will be added to future invoices.
If anything changes, like your exemption status or tax ID, let us know. You can update your details anytime from Settings > Billing.
How to know if we've granted your tax exemption
How to know if we've granted your tax exemption
If you've already submitted a tax exemption request, you can check its status like this:
- On the homepage, select your account profile to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Go to Billing.
- Refer to your tax exemption status under the Tax exemption for your team section:
- Validation in progress - Your Tax ID has been submitted and is currently awaiting validation. This process typically takes just a few minutes.
- Conditionally approved - Your Tax ID will need manual validation. While in this status, your invoices are tax-exempt.
- Validated - Your Tax ID has been successfully validated and approved.
- Revoked - Your Tax ID was found to be invalid during the validation process. To fix this, update the Tax ID and/or country and resubmit. If the issue persists, contact our support team.
- Not requested - No tax exemption request has been submitted yet.
Note: Canva isn't registered for VAT in Brazil. We don't charge tax on your invoices, and we don't issue a Fiscal Note (Nota Fiscal).
Why can't I get a tax exemption even though I provided a valid tax ID?
Some countries don't allow tax exemption for business-to-business (B2B) digital sales, even if you provide a valid tax ID. Canva must charge and report tax in countries where local tax authorities don't recognize B2B exemptions for digital services. These countries include: Australia, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Switzerland, Uruguay, United Kingdom, Vietnam.
If you're not in one of these countries and you think we applied tax by mistake, reach out to our support team with your tax ID or exemption certificate. To see where Canva is tax-registered and whether we charge tax, check the Canva sales tax per country page.
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