Tax will not calculate

I've been through most threads on tax issues and solutions but have yet to figure out why my tax will not calculate.
I have just upgraded to the lastest zen cart version. I'm wondering if there is a problem in my database. I upgraded because I was having this issue....when I upgraded- I did a fresh install, then imported my old database into the new system- then upgraded the database.
Before I did this- I did test the 'fresh install' and demo to make sure the tax was working. It did.
THEN I imported my old database and upgraded...
Now in the upgraded old database- I have the same tax issue.

I have set my zones, definition, Class,rates etc..
I've checked "MY STORE" and both 'Basis of Product tax" are set to the Store- which is in GA.
My products are all set to Taxable Goods, and in Admin I can see taxes added when inserting a new product.

I can not see taxes added if I change the store to "Display Prices with tax" - and taxes are not calculated upon checkout. At checkout, I do see a line for "Sales tax" but it is always at $0.

Please advise...

Thank you.

Do I understand correctly that on a fresh install with demo products, tax calculated properly, but after reloading the database with your own data (no changes to any PHP files, etc), taxes suddenly do not calculate properly?

Yes. This is correct.

How many tax classes do you have?

And what are their "id's" ? (click on them in your Admin, and note the tID= value on your URL)

1 tax class
URL:
/Estore/admin/tax_classes.php?page=1&tID=1&action=edit

let's reset all your tax calculations. This will wipe out all your tax rates, zones, zones definitions, etc.
Then you'll need to re-build them.

paste the following into your Admin->Tools->Install SQL Patches:

truncate table geo_zones;
truncate table zones_to_geo_zones;
truncate table tax_rates;

update configuration set configuration_value='0' where configuration_key='TAX_DECIMAL_PLACES';
update configuration set configuration_value='false' where configuration_key='DISPLAY_PRICE_WITH_TAX';
update configuration set configuration_value='false' where configuration_key='DISPLAY_PRICE_WITH_TAX_ADMIN';
update configuration set configuration_value='Shipping' where configuration_key='STORE_PRODUCT_TAX_BASIS';
update configuration set configuration_value='Shipping' where configuration_key='STORE_SHIPPING_TAX_BASIS';
update configuration set configuration_value='0' where configuration_key='STORE_TAX_DISPLAY_STATUS';

This doesn't touch your tax "classes", so your products which are already linked to that class will not be affected.

Below is the message that came up:

"truncate table geo_zones;

1146 Table 'candkno0_.geo_zones' doesn't exist
in:
[truncate table geo_zones;]
If you were entering information, press the BACK button in your browser and re-check the information you had entered to be sure you left no blank fields."

argh ... i guess the SQL patch tool doesn't auto-insert tablenames for truncate statements.

do your tables have a "zen_" prefix?

if so, add "zen_" like this:

truncate table zen_geo_zones;
truncate table zen_zones_to_geo_zones;
truncate table zen_tax_rates;

:-) Done. But no change in tax status..

OK.

I think I figured it out. I added a GA address to the contacts and ordered a product to be sent to this GA address ...the tax was added.
My test account is in the state of "NY"- no tax is added to any other state besides GA.
What am I doing wrong? Should I have ALL states listed in my zone?

If a zone is not defined to be connected to a tax rate, then no tax will be applied.

If you are required to collect tax for NY, then create a tax zone for NY, and link a tax rate to it.

I got it to work-
I changed the "Basis of Product Tax" to "Shipping" instead of "Store"
When it was on "Store" it only added tax to customers in GA- since, "if Billing/Shipping Zone equals Store zone"

I'm sure there would have been another/better way to do this but right now I'm just happy it's working.

Thank you.

That's why "Shipping" is set as the default :D