A thermal receipt's narrow width makes it tempting to squeeze the tax line into the smallest space possible — but a VAT breakdown that's too compressed to read defeats the purpose of showing it at all.
What generally needs to be visible
The VAT rate applied (e.g. 15%), the VAT amount, and the pre-tax subtotal, in addition to the final total — a customer or auditor should be able to verify the math from what's printed, not just trust the final number.
A business tax registration number, where required
Many VAT systems require the seller's tax registration number to appear on receipts above a certain transaction value — check your local requirement, since this can matter for the buyer's own tax reporting.
Keep the tax section visually separated
A small blank line or a light divider between the item list and the tax breakdown helps the eye separate "what was bought" from "how the total was calculated," even in the tight width of a thermal receipt.
Don't abbreviate the rate itself
Writing just "Tax" without the rate percentage leaves the customer unable to verify the calculation — always show the actual rate applied, even if space is tight elsewhere on the receipt.
Test print and check readability
Small text at the tax section can blur on lower print quality settings — print an actual test receipt and check the tax line is genuinely legible, not just present.