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GuidesAPI Reference
GuidesAPI Reference
    • Welcome to Ziptax
      • Quickstart
      • How to create an API key
      • How to find a TIC
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  • Troubleshooting
Tutorials

Quickstart

Get your first sales tax rate back from Ziptax in under five minutes
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How to create an API key

Generate a new Ziptax API key from your account dashboard
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Five minutes, five steps, one real rate. At the end of this page you’ll have an API key, a working curl call, and an SDK-based version of the same lookup in the language of your choice.

1

Create a Ziptax account

Head to platform.zip.tax and sign up. You can create a Starter Plan account for free and start using the API in minutes. More information on our plans and request tiers can be found on our pricing page.

2

Create API Key

After signing in, navigate to Develop > API Keys using the side navigation menu. Create a new key and copy the value. It looks like a long opaque string. Keep it out of client-side code and source control.

For a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots, see How to create an API key.

3

Make your first call

Replace YOUR_API_KEY and run this:

$curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
>  "https://api.zip-tax.com/request/v60?address=200+Spectrum+Center+Dr+Irvine+CA"

If the key and address are valid, you’ll get a JSON response that looks like this (trimmed):

1{
2  "metadata": {
3    "version": "v60",
4    "response": { "code": 100, "name": "RESPONSE_CODE_SUCCESS" }
5  },
6  "taxSummaries": [
7    { "rate": 0.0775, "taxType": "SALES_TAX", "summaryName": "Total Base Sales Tax" }
8  ],
9  "addressDetail": {
10    "normalizedAddress": "200 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618-5003, United States",
11    "geoLat": 33.65253,
12    "geoLng": -117.74794
13  }
14}

taxSummaries[0].rate is the combined sales tax rate at that address. For 200 Spectrum Center Dr it’s 7.75% at the time of writing.

Didn’t get a code: 100? Look up what the code means on the Response Codes page. 101 means the key wasn’t accepted, 109 means the address didn’t resolve.

4

Do the same call from an SDK

The REST endpoint is easy to hit from any language, but the SDKs add typed models, retries, and convenience helpers. Pick one:

1# pip install ziptax
2from ziptax import Ziptax
3
4client = Ziptax(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
5rate = client.by_address(
6    address="200 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine CA"
7)
8print(rate.tax_summaries[0].rate)  # 0.0775
5

Pick your next step

You’re integrated. Now find the shape that matches your use case:

SDKs

Idiomatic Go, Python, and Node.js clients with typed models.

REST API

Learn when to use address vs. lat/lng vs. postal code, and the full parameter set.

Agents & LLMs

Give an AI agent direct access to Ziptax via MCP or the Claude Skill.

Taxability Information Codes

Attach a product category for accurate tax on clothing, food, SaaS, and so on.

Troubleshooting

code: 101, key wasn't accepted

Double-check for trailing whitespace or wrapping quotes in the header. Regenerate the key from the Ziptax platform if in doubt. The header name is case-sensitive in some clients, so use exactly X-API-Key.

code: 109, address didn't resolve

Usually a typo or a ZIP that doesn’t match the city. Try the address without the ZIP, or drop the ZIP+4 suffix if present.

Rate limit after a test loop

If you hit code: 108, you’ve tripped the per-minute request limit. The window is 60 seconds, so wait and retry. Read the Rate Limiting guide before wiring this into a tight loop.

Want historical rates or Canadian coverage

Both are available on Pro and Enterprise plans via the historical and countryCode=CAN parameters respectively. See the REST API guide for the full parameter list.