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Richard
#1 Posted : Thursday, June 21, 2007 8:53:31 AM(UTC)
Richard

Rank: Member

Joined: 4/28/2003(UTC)
Posts: 141

I don't know if this has been address or not, I can't find it through the search.


If you set up global free shipping say for $75.00

Choose a product/products greater than $75.00 and add them to cart

Checkout and enter address and zip for what ever state your collecting taxes in

In my case it is Texas 76.00

Tax 6.45 7.75%

Shipping 7.20

Total 82.45







This looks correct at first glance but if you do the math tax is being charged on the shipping even though shipping is free and removed.



We are running Bvc5 SP2



Richard

www.somethingmorestore.com
MitchA
#2 Posted : Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:51:16 PM(UTC)
MitchA

Rank: Member

Joined: 3/3/2006(UTC)
Posts: 1,737

I imagine there's a good reason for this.

I'd bet if you included shipping in the price of the product and offered free shipping, you'd be hard pressed to find a state that would allow you to deduct your "free" shipping cost from the retail price before calculating the sales tax that you as a merchant pays to the state...

Pretty much what you're doing here, 'cept your giving away the shipping. It's arguably a taxible part of the transaction.
Optimists invent airplanes,
Pessimists buy parachutes.
bvuser
#3 Posted : Friday, June 22, 2007 7:26:11 AM(UTC)
bvuser

Rank: Member

Joined: 4/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 462

Mitch,

I can't agree with your logic there. This is much more likely a bug.

My reasoning is this, your "free" shipping is just as you put it, a "cost" of doing business, it is not part of the retail transaction price and therefore should not be subject to a sales tax. Do you feel that sales tax should be accessed on your full cost of shipping if you setup a "By Weight" shipping method and decide to charge $1.99 for the shipping when the shipping cost is actually $10 for you?

Also, if you offer a product at a buy one get free special, do you access sales tax on the free item based on it what its retail price SHOULD be or do you access it on what you'd normally charge for the item? Just like discounting a product price, the amount that the sales tax is accessed on is what is on the invoice, not your cost or you should be paying sales tax based on your cost for everything including the products your selling and saving yourself a bunch of money.
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#4 Posted : Saturday, June 23, 2007 8:31:08 PM(UTC)
bobn@laurastamm.net

Rank: Member

Joined: 6/6/2005(UTC)
Posts: 483

No. There should not be a tax on Free Shipping, just as there should not be a tax on discounts. If you give an item away for free there should not be sales tax charged in any state. If the item you receive for free is of substantial value, you may have to pay a different tax which is similar to a tax on gambling winnings, but there should not be a sales tax involved.

There are 2 possible exceptions I'm aware of.
1. In Michigan if you buy a rebuilt alternator for your car which has a core charge of say $15, you have to pay sales tax on the core charge even if you bring the old one in when you make the purchase.
2. In Michigan if you buy a new car with a Trade in, you are taxed on the value of the new car, not the difference.

Bob Noble
MitchA
#5 Posted : Saturday, June 23, 2007 8:31:10 PM(UTC)
MitchA

Rank: Member

Joined: 3/3/2006(UTC)
Posts: 1,737

From: http://cpastar2.cpa.state.tx.us


Thank you for your recent letter In which you asked for a ruling response to
the following sales tax questions:

1. Shipping and Handling:

Question A. Is shipping and handling subject to sales tax If they are listed
together as a single line item on a customer invoice?

Response: If the item being shipped is taxable, the shipping and handling
charge is also taxable.

Question B. Is shipping or handling subject to sales tax if they are listed as
two separate items on a customer invoice?

Response: If the item being shipped is taxable, both shipping and handling
charges are also taxable even if the two charges are separately stated.


I called the Texas Tax Authority and was told that because shipping is a non-tangible property, it isn't taxed the same as tangible property. This means that the value of the shipping isn't taxed until/unless it is charged to the purchaser.

Shipping charges are subject to sales tax, free shipping isn't a sales taxable item because the shipping wasn't 'sold' to the consumer.

You are correct, free shipping isn't sales taxable, in Texas at least.
Optimists invent airplanes,
Pessimists buy parachutes.
Marcus
#6 Posted : Saturday, June 23, 2007 8:53:10 PM(UTC)
Marcus

Rank: Member

Joined: 11/5/2003(UTC)
Posts: 1,786

Richard,

We'll look into this. From your example it certainly looks like a bug we need to fix.

Have you created a support ticket? That will help us track the issue and the exact steps to duplicate.
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