# Retrieve a tax code's details

`GET /api/configuration/tax-codes/{taxcodeId}`

- **Success:** `200 OK`
- **Products:** Operator (`FOH`)
- **Features:** Front of House Generic Access (`FOHGENERIC`)

HTML version: [Retrieve a tax code's details](https://support.gladstonesoftware.cloud/reference/configuration/retrieve-a-tax-codes-details)

## Overview

Returns one tax code and its translated descriptions, looked up by the string id you already hold.

Prefer [List all tax codes](list-all-tax-codes.md) when you are building a
lookup list — it returns the same shape for every code in one call. Reach for this endpoint when
you need to confirm a single code still exists and check its current rate before pricing against it,
because unlike the list it reflects a recent change immediately.

An id that does not exist returns `404`, not an empty body, which makes this a usable existence
check.

## Endpoint

`GET {base_url}/api/configuration/tax-codes/{taxcodeId}`

`{base_url}` is the environment URL issued to your integration. See [Authenticating with Gladstone APIs](../../guides/authenticating-with-gladstone-apis.md).

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|------|------|----------|-------------|
| `taxCodeId` | string | Yes | The tax code to retrieve, as returned in `id` by [List all tax codes](list-all-tax-codes.md). Maximum 15 characters. Codes are upper-cased with spaces removed, so pass the value back exactly as you received it. An unrecognised id returns `404`. |

## Sample request

```bash title="cURL"
curl -X GET '{base_url}/api/configuration/tax-codes/{taxcodeId}' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {accessToken}' \
  -H 'X-Use-SSO: true'
```

## Response fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `id` | string | The tax code's identifier, unique within your tenant — a short string, not a number, and the value other configuration records use to reference this code. Maximum 15 characters. Echoes the `taxCodeId` you requested. Codes created without a caller-supplied id are generated with the prefix `TAXC`. |
| `description` | string | The default, untranslated label for the code, in the tenant's base language. Maximum 25 characters. Use `translations` in preference where you have a culture to render for. |
| `rate` | number (float) | The tax rate applied by this code. Rates are held to a maximum of two decimal places — creating or updating a code with more is rejected with `The tax rate can only be specified to two decimal places`. A code with no rate configured is returned as `0`, not `null`. |
| `reference` | string | A free-text reference held against the code, typically for matching to an external finance or accounting system. Maximum 25 characters. Returned unchanged; no format or uniqueness rule applies to it. May be `null`. |
| `translations` | array of object | Culture-specific versions of `description`, one entry per configured culture. Only the description is translatable for a tax code — no other field has translations. Returned as an empty array, not `null`, when nothing has been translated, so a client can iterate it unconditionally. |
| `translations[].type` | string | The property this entry translates. For tax codes it is always `description`, because that is the only translated property; treat any other value as unexpected rather than filtering on it. |
| `translations[].culture` | string | The culture the translation applies to — match it against the locale you are rendering for and fall back to `description` when there is no entry. |
| `translations[].text` | string | The translated description for this culture. Replaces `description` for display; it does not extend it. |

## Sample response

```json title="200 OK"
{
  "id": "string",
  "description": "string",
  "rate": 10.5,
  "reference": "string",
  "translations": [
    {
      "type": "string",
      "culture": "string",
      "text": "string"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Errors

| Status | Meaning | When |
|--------|---------|------|
| `400` | Bad request | Returned only when the path segment cannot be read, with a validation error object keyed by field name as the body. There is no realistic way to trigger this — an unknown code produces `404`, not `400`. |
| `404` | Not found | No tax code exists with the id you supplied. The body is plain text, not JSON: `GetTaxCode could not find the id {taxCodeId}`. |
| `500` | Internal server error | An unexpected server-side failure while reading the code or its translations. The body is empty — the detail is not returned to you — so retry once and then raise it with support. |