diff --git a/app/models/spree/app_configuration_decorator.rb b/app/models/spree/app_configuration_decorator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4f4acc5ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/spree/app_configuration_decorator.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Spree::AppConfiguration.class_eval do
+ # This file decorates the existing preferences file defined by Spree.
+ # It allows us to add our own global configuration variables, which
+ # we can allow to be modified in the UI by adding appropriate form
+ # elements to existing or new configuration pages.
+
+ # Tax Preferences
+ preference :products_require_tax_category, :boolean, default: false
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/spree/product_decorator.rb b/app/models/spree/product_decorator.rb
index 5b3460a073..9d7eb18d80 100644
--- a/app/models/spree/product_decorator.rb
+++ b/app/models/spree/product_decorator.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ Spree::Product.class_eval do
   validates_associated :master, message: "^Price and On Hand must be valid"
   validates_presence_of :supplier
   validates :primary_taxon, presence: { message: "^Product Category can't be blank" }
-
+  validates :tax_category_id, presence: { message: "^Tax Category can't be blank" }, if: "Spree::Config.products_require_tax_category"
+  
   validates_presence_of :variant_unit, if: :has_variants?
   validates_presence_of :variant_unit_scale,
                         if: -> p { %w(weight volume).include? p.variant_unit }
diff --git a/app/overrides/spree/admin/products/new/replace_form.html.haml.deface b/app/overrides/spree/admin/products/new/replace_form.html.haml.deface
index 7c627eec4e..974e31f3ee 100644
--- a/app/overrides/spree/admin/products/new/replace_form.html.haml.deface
+++ b/app/overrides/spree/admin/products/new/replace_form.html.haml.deface
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
     .twelve.columns.alpha
       .six.columns.alpha
         = render 'spree/admin/products/primary_taxon_form', f: f
+        - if Spree::TaxCategory.any?
+          = render 'spree/admin/products/tax_category_form', f: f
       .three.columns
         = f.field_container :price do
           = f.label :price, t(:price)
diff --git a/app/overrides/spree/admin/tax_settings/edit/add_products_require_tax_category.html.haml.deface b/app/overrides/spree/admin/tax_settings/edit/add_products_require_tax_category.html.haml.deface
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..588669f005
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/overrides/spree/admin/tax_settings/edit/add_products_require_tax_category.html.haml.deface
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+/ insert_before "[data-hook='shipment_vat']"
+
+%div.field.align-center{ "data-hook" => "products_require_tax_category" }
+  = hidden_field_tag 'preferences[products_require_tax_category]', '0'
+  = check_box_tag 'preferences[products_require_tax_category]', '1',  Spree::Config[:products_require_tax_category]
+  = label_tag nil, t(:products_require_tax_category)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/spree/admin/products/_tax_category_form.html.haml b/app/views/spree/admin/products/_tax_category_form.html.haml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ab348636c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/spree/admin/products/_tax_category_form.html.haml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+= f.field_container :tax_category_id do
+  = f.label :tax_category_id, t(:tax_category)
+  *
+  %br
+  = f.collection_select(:tax_category_id, Spree::TaxCategory.all, :id, :name, {:include_blank => Spree::TaxCategory.count > 1}, {:class => "select2 fullwidth"})
+  = f.error_message_on :tax_category_id
diff --git a/spec/factories.rb b/spec/factories.rb
index 214c61962d..2e3c8e223a 100644
--- a/spec/factories.rb
+++ b/spec/factories.rb
@@ -180,6 +180,11 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
       order.reload
     end
   end
+  
+  factory :simple_tax_category, :class => Spree::TaxCategory do
+    name "Test Tax Category"
+    description "Test tax category description"
+  end
 end
 
 
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/products_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/products_spec.rb
index 1f61b07d2a..c42a57ce98 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/products_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/products_spec.rb
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ feature %q{
 
   describe "creating a product" do
     scenario "assigning a important attributes", js: true do
+      tax_category = create(:simple_tax_category)
       login_to_admin_section
 
       click_link 'Products'
       click_link 'New Product'
 
+      select 'Test Tax Category', from: 'product_tax_category_id'
       select 'New supplier', from: 'product_supplier_id'
       fill_in 'product_name', with: 'A new product !!!'
       select "Weight (kg)", from: 'product_variant_unit_with_scale'
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ feature %q{
 
       flash_message.should == 'Product "A new product !!!" has been successfully created!'
       product = Spree::Product.find_by_name('A new product !!!')
+      product.tax_category_id.should == tax_category.id
       product.supplier.should == @supplier
       product.variant_unit.should == 'weight'
       product.variant_unit_scale.should == 1000
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ feature %q{
       page.should have_selector('#product_supplier_id')
       select 'Another Supplier', :from => 'product_supplier_id'
       select taxon.name, from: "product_primary_taxon_id"
+      page.should have_select 'product_tax_category_id' if Spree::TaxCategory.any?
 
       # Should only have suppliers listed which the user can manage
       page.should have_select 'product_supplier_id', with_options: [@supplier2.name, @supplier_permitted.name]
@@ -134,6 +138,7 @@ feature %q{
 
       visit spree.edit_admin_product_path product
 
+      page.should have_select 'product_tax_category_id'
       select 'Permitted Supplier', from: 'product_supplier_id'
       click_button 'Update'
       flash_message.should == 'Product "a product" has been successfully updated!'
diff --git a/spec/models/spree/product_spec.rb b/spec/models/spree/product_spec.rb
index f9a990830c..2a399ba30e 100644
--- a/spec/models/spree/product_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/spree/product_spec.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,28 @@ module Spree
       it { should belong_to(:primary_taxon) }
       it { should have_many(:product_distributions) }
     end
+    
+    describe "validating tax category" do
+      context "when a tax category is required" do
+        before { Spree::Config.products_require_tax_category = true }
+    
+        it "is invalid when a tax category is not provided" do
+          product = create(:product)
+          product.tax_category_id = nil
+          product.should_not be_valid
+        end
+      end
+    
+      context "when a tax category is not required" do
+        before { Spree::Config.products_require_tax_category = false }
+    
+        it "is valid when a tax category is not provided" do
+          product = create(:product)
+          product.tax_category_id = nil
+          product.should be_valid
+        end
+      end
+    end
 
     describe "validations and defaults" do
       it "is valid when created from factory" do