Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for determining taxes that is configurable for local jurisdictions. The system includes a tax knowledge base that provides the facility to store data pertaining to taxes in local jurisdictions, and a tax rule base that provides the facility to store rules for applying taxes in local jurisdictions. The system also includes a tax determination manager that determines the tax for a transaction using the tax knowledge base and, optionally, the tax rule base.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that is designed in a manner that processes used for determining or administering taxes for a transaction apply tax rules that are specified (by a tax user) using configurable templates. During operation, the system receives a transaction for which taxes are to be determined during which a process may require the application of rules. The system then examines a configurable template associated with a tax rule, wherein the configurable template identifies a set of attributes associated with the transaction. The system also examines a condition group for the set of attributes. If each condition of the condition group is satisfied, the system, by way of completing the said process, uses the process result that is associated with the condition group for the process.