What is ShipCompliant?

ShipCompliant by Sovos is the #1 compliance platform for shipping alcohol in the United States. It handles tax calculation, license management, and state-by-state regulatory compliance.

Can it calculate state-specific excise taxes?

Yes, it automatically calculates state excise taxes, sales taxes, and local surcharges for all 50 states.

Does it check volume limits per customer?

Yes, it tracks aggregated volume limits per customer per state to prevent non-compliant shipments.

ShipCompliant MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 8 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: ShipCompliant
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 8 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shipcompliant": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About ShipCompliant MCP Server

Connect your ShipCompliant by Sovos account to any AI agent and navigate the complex world of US alcohol shipping compliance through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings ShipCompliant data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 8 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Compliance Check — Verify if shipping wine/spirits from one state to another is legally compliant
Tax Calculation — Calculate state-specific excise tax, sales tax, and alcohol surcharges for accurate invoicing
Shipping Rules — Get detailed carrier restrictions, volume limits, temperature requirements, and signature rules by state
License Management — View all your active, pending, and expired shipping licenses across all 50 states
State Regulations — Deep-dive into any state's alcohol laws: age verification, volume caps, and product restrictions
Product Registry — List all registered products with brand names, alcohol content, and approved states
Carrier Info — View approved carriers for alcohol shipment with compliance certifications

The ShipCompliant MCP Server exposes 8 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect ShipCompliant to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the ShipCompliant MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using ShipCompliant

Ask Copilot: "Using ShipCompliant, help me...". 8 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the ShipCompliant MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with ShipCompliant through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

ShipCompliant + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the ShipCompliant MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

ShipCompliant MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (8)

These 8 tools become available when you connect ShipCompliant to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

calculate_tax

Returns total tax amount and breakdown by tax type. Required for accurate invoicing. Calculate alcohol tax

check_compliance

Returns compliance status, volume limits, license requirements, and any restrictions. THE most important tool — always check before shipping alcohol. Check shipping compliance

check_license_status

Returns license details and expiration date. Check license status for a state

get_shipping_rules

Get state shipping rules

get_state_rules

Get state alcohol rules

list_carriers

List approved carriers

list_licenses

Critical for knowing where you can legally ship. List your shipping licenses

list_products

List registered products

Example Prompts for ShipCompliant in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with ShipCompliant immediately.

"Can we ship Pinot Noir from California to Texas?"

"Calculate alcohol taxes for a $50 bottle of wine shipped to New York."

"Show my active shipping licenses for California."

Troubleshooting ShipCompliant MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting ShipCompliant to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

ShipCompliant + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating ShipCompliant MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.