diff --git a/inc/ajax-fetch.php b/inc/ajax-fetch.php
index 3656c9c..d647339 100644
--- a/inc/ajax-fetch.php
+++ b/inc/ajax-fetch.php
@@ -8,12 +8,11 @@
                   <?php
                       $db = $pdo->query("SELECT p.* FROM products as p JOIN categories as c on p.id_cat = c.id and c.lang = '".$_SESSION["l"]."' where p.title LIKE '%".$_POST["fetch"]."%' and p.active = 1 order by p.ord ASC");
                       while ($row = $db->fetch()) {
-                         // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                         // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
                             }else{
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
                         }
 
                   ?>
diff --git a/inc/functions.php b/inc/functions.php
index d2791e3..7b31900 100644
--- a/inc/functions.php
+++ b/inc/functions.php
@@ -750,6 +750,27 @@ public function RemoveShipping($id)
 
 
 //// tax /////////
+  // Safe tax lookup — returns ['tax' => 0] when table/row is missing (fresh installs).
+  public function GetTaxRow($category, $country = null)
+    {
+      $default = array("tax" => 0);
+      $category = filter_var((string)$category, FILTER_SANITIZE_ADD_SLASHES);
+      try {
+        if ($country !== null && $country !== '') {
+          $country = filter_var((string)$country, FILTER_SANITIZE_ADD_SLASHES);
+          $row = $this->pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax WHERE category = '".$category."' AND country = '".$country."' LIMIT 1")->fetch();
+        } else {
+          $row = $this->pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax WHERE category = '".$category."' LIMIT 1")->fetch();
+        }
+        if ($row && isset($row["tax"])) {
+          return $row;
+        }
+      } catch (Throwable $e) {
+        // Missing tax table or column — treat as zero rate so listings stay up.
+      }
+      return $default;
+    }
+
   // Add tax
   public function InsertTax($category,$country,$tax,$active)
     {
diff --git a/inc/listings.php b/inc/listings.php
index d071c6b..31fb7a9 100644
--- a/inc/listings.php
+++ b/inc/listings.php
@@ -150,34 +150,38 @@ function formatText (icon) {
                         <input type="number" step="any" name="fiat" class="form-control" min="0" value="<?php if (isset($row["fiat"])){ echo $row["fiat"]; }; ?>" placeholder="0">
                       </div>
                     </div>
-<!--                    <div class="col-sm-4" >
+                    <?php
+                    // Tax category dropdown. HTML comments do NOT stop PHP execution — this used to
+                    // fatal on fresh installs when the `tax` table was missing from shibeship.sql.
+                    $taxCategories = array();
+                    try {
+                        $dbsub = $pdo->query("SELECT DISTINCT category FROM tax ORDER BY category ASC");
+                        if ($dbsub) {
+                            while ($rowsub = $dbsub->fetch()) {
+                                if (isset($rowsub["category"])) {
+                                    $taxCategories[] = $rowsub["category"];
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    } catch (Throwable $e) {
+                        $taxCategories = array();
+                    }
+                    ?>
+                    <div class="col-sm-4">
                       <div class="form-group">
                         <label><?php echo $lang["tax"]; ?> %</label>
                         <select class="form-control" name="cat_tax">
-                        <?php
-                            $dbsub = $pdo->query("SELECT DISTINCT category FROM tax order by category ASC");
-                            while ($rowsub = $dbsub->fetch()) {
-                        ?>
-                                <option value="<?php echo $rowsub["category"];?>" ><?php echo $rowsub["category"];?></option>
-                        <?php
-                        };
-                        ?>
-                        <?php
-                        if (isset($row["cat_tax"])){
-                        ?>
-                                <option value="<?php echo $row["cat_tax"];?>" selected="selected" ><?php echo $row["cat_tax"];?></option>
-                        <?php
-                        }else{
-                          ?>
-                                <option value="" selected="selected" >---</option>
-                          <?php
-                        }
-                        ?>
-                                <option value="" >0</option>                        
+                          <option value="0"<?php if (!isset($row["cat_tax"]) || $row["cat_tax"] === "" || $row["cat_tax"] === "0"){ echo ' selected="selected"'; } ?>>0</option>
+                          <?php foreach ($taxCategories as $taxCat) { if ($taxCat === "0" || $taxCat === "") continue; ?>
+                            <option value="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($taxCat, ENT_QUOTES); ?>"<?php if (isset($row["cat_tax"]) && $row["cat_tax"] === $taxCat){ echo ' selected="selected"'; } ?>><?php echo htmlspecialchars($taxCat, ENT_QUOTES); ?></option>
+                          <?php } ?>
+                          <?php if (isset($row["cat_tax"]) && $row["cat_tax"] !== "" && $row["cat_tax"] !== "0" && !in_array($row["cat_tax"], $taxCategories, true)) { ?>
+                            <option value="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($row["cat_tax"], ENT_QUOTES); ?>" selected="selected"><?php echo htmlspecialchars($row["cat_tax"], ENT_QUOTES); ?></option>
+                          <?php } ?>
                         </select>
-                      </div>    
+                      </div>
                     </div>
--->                                    
+
                     <div class="col-sm-4">
                       <div class="form-group">
                         <label><?php echo $lang["qty"]; ?></label>
diff --git a/inc/main.php b/inc/main.php
index 9c5e52b..bd0f26a 100644
--- a/inc/main.php
+++ b/inc/main.php
@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@
                   <?php
                       $db = $pdo->query("SELECT p.* FROM products as p JOIN categories as c on p.id_cat = c.id and c.lang = '".$_SESSION["l"]."' where p.active = 1 order by p.id DESC");
                       while ($row = $db->fetch()) {
-                         // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                         // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
                             }else{
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
                             }                        
                   ?>
                     <?php include("product_main.php"); //we include the product design ?>
diff --git a/inc/product.php b/inc/product.php
index 6e28cb7..7a88585 100644
--- a/inc/product.php
+++ b/inc/product.php
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@ function randomDogeemonic(min, max) {
                       };
                       $rowc = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM categories where id = '".$row["id_cat"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
                       $shibe = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM shibes where id = '".$row["id_shibe"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
-                          // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                            $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
-                         }else{
+                          // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
+                            }else{
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
+                            }else{
                             $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
                          }
 
@@ -441,10 +442,11 @@ function randomDogeemonic(min, max) {
                   <?php // we list all products
                       $db = $pdo->query("SELECT p.* FROM products as p JOIN categories as c on p.id_cat = c.id and c.lang = '".$_SESSION["l"]."' where p.id_cat = '".$row["id_cat"]."' and p.id <> '".$_GET["product"]."' and p.active = 1 order by p.ord ASC");
                       while ($row = $db->fetch()) {
-                         // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                         // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
+                            }else{
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
                             }else{
                                 $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
                             }
diff --git a/inc/products.php b/inc/products.php
index 44e97bd..2d07fdf 100644
--- a/inc/products.php
+++ b/inc/products.php
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@
                   <?php // we list all products
                       $db = $pdo->query("SELECT p.* FROM products as p JOIN categories as c on p.id_cat = c.id and c.lang = '".$_SESSION["l"]."' where p.id_cat = '".$_GET["c"]."' and p.active = 1 order by p.ord ASC");
                       while ($row = $db->fetch()) {
-                         // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                         // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
                             }else{
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
                             }
                   ?>
                     <?php include("product_main.php"); //we include the product design ?>
diff --git a/inc/shop.php b/inc/shop.php
index d4cba89..c16a97d 100644
--- a/inc/shop.php
+++ b/inc/shop.php
@@ -45,12 +45,11 @@
                   <?php // we list all products
                       $db = $pdo->query("SELECT p.* FROM products as p JOIN categories as c on p.id_cat = c.id and c.lang = '".$_SESSION["l"]."' where p.id_shibe = '".$_GET["shibe"]."' and p.active = 1 order by p.ord ASC");
                       while ($row = $db->fetch()) {
-                         // we get the TAX for that product
-                         $rowt["tax"] = 0; // we set default to zero
-                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){ // we check if Shibe is logged in and we get only shipping from all countries or his own country
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' and country = '".$_SESSION["country"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                         // we get the TAX for that product (safe if tax table missing)
+                         if (isset($_SESSION["country"])){
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"], $_SESSION["country"]);
                             }else{
-                                $rowt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM tax where category = '".$row["cat_tax"]."' limit 1")->fetch();
+                                $rowt = $d->GetTaxRow($row["cat_tax"]);
                             }
                   ?>
                     <?php include("product_main.php"); //we include the product design ?>
diff --git a/shibeship.sql b/shibeship.sql
index 85e5479..afaa593 100644
--- a/shibeship.sql
+++ b/shibeship.sql
@@ -139,4 +139,23 @@ CREATE TABLE `shibes` (
 ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 
 
--- 2023-07-13 17:16:04
\ No newline at end of file
+
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `tax`;
+CREATE TABLE `tax` (
+  `id` bigint(20) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
+  `category` varchar(255) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+  `country` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL,
+  `tax` decimal(10,4) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0.0000',
+  `active` int(1) DEFAULT '1',
+  PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
+  KEY `idx_tax_category` (`category`),
+  KEY `idx_tax_country` (`country`)
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
+
+-- Default zero-rate row so listings tax dropdown is never empty after fresh install
+INSERT INTO `tax` (`id`, `category`, `country`, `tax`, `active`) VALUES
+(1,'0',NULL,0.0000,1),
+(2,'Standard','',0.0000,1);
+
+
+-- 2023-07-13 17:16:04