This guide provides information on how to update subscriptions created before 1st January 2015 using the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension in order to be compliant with the 2015 VAT changes that come into effect on 1st January 2015.
If you have not already done so, you should read blog post about WooCommerce VAT 2015 changes and options for making WooCommerce compliant with the 2015 VAT changes.
Please note: This guide is not intended to provide legal or accounting advice. It is a practical guide on how to change subscriptions under different circumstances. It does not provide information about what needs to be changed (e.g. which tax rates need to be applied) or whether those changes are required in your store. Please seek legal counsel and accounting advice in order to determine what, if any, changes your store needs to make.
The problem
↑ Back to topManual subscriptions
↑ Back to topSubscriptions with automatic recurring payments
↑ Back to top
- a subscription that can be changed and does has enough information to determine the required changes;
- a subscription that can be changed but does not have enough information to determine the changes; and
- subscription that can not be updated.
Can the subscription be changed?
↑ Back to topDoes the subscription have enough information?
↑ Back to topChanging subscriptions
↑ Back to topUpdating other subscriptions
↑ Back to top- change the subscription to use manual renewal;
- require customers switch subscriptions to create a new subscription; or
- cancel the subscription and require the customer to sign-up again.
Changing a subscription to use manual renewal
To change a subscription to manual renewals, and therefore have taxes calculated at the time of renewal, follow the guide on changing subscriptions with automatic payments to use manual renewals. Depending on which payment gateway you are using, you may also need to cancel the subscription at the payment gateway. For example, if you are using PayPal, you will also need to cancel the subscription at PayPal so that it does not process automatic payments. Change the subscription to manual renewals in your store before cancelling the subscription at the payment gateway. If you do not, it may be cancelled with your store.Switch subscriptions
WooCommerce Subscriptions provides a switching feature that is normally used to offer upgrades and downgrades. However, it could also be used for the unusual usecase to provide a cross-grade (i.e. a switch from one subscription to another with the same billing terms). When a customer completes the switch process, they receive a new subscription with new billing terms. As a result, you can use this feature to have customers create new subscriptions that comply with the new VAT policies. To use switching for cross-grading a simple subscription:- Go to: Products > Add New
- Create a new Simple Subscription product with identical billing terms to the existing subscription you want customers to switch from. Save the product.
- Go to: Products > Add New
- Create a new Grouped Product to contain both the existing subscription and new subscription products.
- Go to: WooCommerce > Settings > Subscriptions
- Configure the switch settings to enable switching for grouped products (you can enable it for variable products and setup proration if needed).
- Go to: Products and find the variable subscription product to change
- Create a new variation with identical billing terms to the existing subscription variation/s you want customers to switch from.
- Go to: WooCommerce > Settings > Subscriptions
- Configure the switch settings to enable switching for variable products (you can enable it for groups products and setup proration if needed).