I Built a Chrome Extension to Look Up Receipt Tax Codes published: false tags: showdev, javascript, chrome, webdev

CheckoutReceipt — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:40:26 +0000

Ever looked at a receipt and wondered what the letters next to each item mean? N, X, O, T, F -- they show up on receipts from Walmart, Target, Costco, and most major US retailers. They tell you whether an item was taxed, tax-exempt, or charged at a reduced rate.

I kept seeing this question come up, so I built a simple Chrome extension that answers it. Pick a retailer, see all their tax codes explained in plain English. No permissions, no data collection. Just a popup with hardcoded data for 15 US retailers.

Three files total: manifest.json, popup.html, popup.js. Empty permissions array. The whole thing is a self-contained reference tool.

One thing worth sharing: my first submission got rejected by the Chrome Web Store. The violation was "Inaccurate Description -- Non functional." My listing said the extension would "decode" tax codes. The reviewer interpreted that as active scanning or processing, which the extension doesn't do. It's a lookup tool. Swapping "decode" to "look up" in the description fixed it. Lesson learned: match every word in your listing to what actually happens in the UI.

The tax code data is also available as an npm package and on GitHub.

Built as part of CheckoutReceipt.com, a free receipt generator with store-specific templates for US retailers.

DEV Community: CheckoutReceipt

I Built a Chrome Extension to Look Up Receipt Tax Codes published: false tags: showdev, javascript, chrome, webdev