UPDATE: the new tax functionality is now live for users who are opted-in to see experimental features. Experimental feature users will find the link toward the bottom of their advanced settings page.
I’m writing to pre-announce a new feature we will soon be making available for those opted-in to see experimental features – the ability to set your own rules for collecting sales tax.
The rules are provided to allow you to pre-assess sales taxes and/or service taxes on your Bonanza transactions. Bonanza will not report this information to tax assessment agencies, nor will it verify any tax rates that you set. We’re creating the interface so you can collect tax as you see fit! It is your responsibility to ensure that this information is reported and accurate.
A few items worth noting are below:
Use of the feature is at your discretion.
Taxes can be set broadly for an entire country or, for more granular controls, down to the individual state or province or even the postal (zip) code.
If you have two overlapping rules the more specific rule will apply. For example, if you have a tax rate for all of the United States and one for Alaska, and someone checks out with a shipping address in Alaska, then the Alaska tax rate will apply (as it’s more specific).
The rate specified for the selected tax rule will be applied in the cart, once the shipping destination has been entered, and will be communicated to PayPal or Google Checkout.
Taxes will be applied to goods after any applicable discounts, but will not include shipping unless you say it should. Some states include shipping in sales tax, some do not.
Special offers will be inclusive of tax; just as they are currently inclusive of shipping. We will update site messaging as appropriate.
If a merchant has no tax rules in their booth then buyers will not see a tax line item in the cart or for their orders. If a merchant has some tax rules, but not for the applicable shipping destination, then the tax line item will simply show dashes.
Tax rates must be set between 0.1% and 25%.
Worth noting - Google Checkout restricts international tax collection to country or country and postal code, but does not allow provinces.
We expect to have this feature available to users who are opted-in to see experimental features in the next few days. Given the complexities we expect we’ll need to make a tweak or two so we’re launching it here before making it more widely available.
Keep an eye on the blog for our launch announcement. And fire away with questions if you have them.
Glad to see this is being instituted. It will be a help to those of us who are required to collect tax for intra-state sales.
I do have one question: In some cases, the tax rate depends upon the product itself. Here in New York, some products (magazines are one example) are exempt from sales tax. Will we have the option (possibly in a trait?) to specifically tag each item as to its tax liability?
And in such cases, will the shopping cart be able to process different tax rates for multiple items, such as where some items may be taxable and others are tax exempt?
@ AdventuresAndHobbies – item by item tax capabilities is more advanced than the capability we’ve build out for next week’s launch, but we’ll keep that in mind.
Will there be an announcement when this goes active? I checked in “Other Options” and I see no button to turn on in advance – which is how I read your reply to Just 4 Barbie, so I assume the option to opt in isn’t an option yet??!! LOL didn’t mean to make that so funny to read.
How will this work with the new Google tax info requirement?
Their Help article says, “Include item-level override values in your data feeds or via the API: These values will override your account-level default settings for that item.”
If we set our tax info in Bonz settings will this be included in our Google feed?
@CrystalBlueAttitude – we will pass the tax rules as configured along with the product data in the Google feed. This should go up with our next release and well in time for Google’s deadline.
I’m a little late in asking this so if anyone reads this I’m still a bit confused. If we have the tax set up here does that or does it not override the tax setup on our GCO and Paypal accounts? I’m still not quite understanding this issue and if I need to change it. Thanks.
Those that huddle around the government tax trough and similar Big Box paid sycophants have yet to explain how they’re going to SAVE us all some lunch money, instead of SPEND it at every notion.
The only thing streamlined about the alleged Streamlined Sales Tax is the forest service road to cut down more innocent trees to fulfill more parasitic revenue scold paperwork, with no known increase in productivity at any level – other than China.
30 responses to Forthcoming tax configuration functionality - UPDATED
Whew- for a minute there I thought you were taking on Washington!
Glad to see this is being instituted. It will be a help to those of us who are required to collect tax for intra-state sales.
I do have one question: In some cases, the tax rate depends upon the product itself. Here in New York, some products (magazines are one example) are exempt from sales tax. Will we have the option (possibly in a trait?) to specifically tag each item as to its tax liability?
And in such cases, will the shopping cart be able to process different tax rates for multiple items, such as where some items may be taxable and others are tax exempt?
Thank you!
Very pro-active.
I love experimental features! Bring it on.
This should be helpful when the GPS tax requirement comes in. Thanks for the update, Alex.
YAY!!! this should be very helpful!! only been asking since 2008
Much needed. Thank you.
How do we know if we’re opted-in?
@ AdventuresAndHobbies – item by item tax capabilities is more advanced than the capability we’ve build out for next week’s launch, but we’ll keep that in mind.
@just4barbie – check out the ‘other options’ in your account settings.
@CoinsYouWant – sorry for the delay, but glad we were ‘finally’ able to accommodate you! ; )
I would like to see a tick box or drop down menu on the invoice that says “Tax Included” – as it is relevant to some countries and not to others.
There is no extra amount to add – just to have it accounted for on those invoices that it is relevant to.
But being an overseas seller – I am probably in the minority
Jules
Thanks Alex, this will help immensely.
Thanks, it’s been LONG overdue!!
HI
Totally excellent! Thank you all!
Judy/blue
No sales tax in Oregon.
Sounds like a terrific upgrade…thanks for the work on this!
Hmmm… brings to mind the Beatles’ Taxman song
Will there be an announcement when this goes active? I checked in “Other Options” and I see no button to turn on in advance – which is how I read your reply to Just 4 Barbie, so I assume the option to opt in isn’t an option yet??!! LOL didn’t mean to make that so funny to read.
It should be going live this evening. I will update the blog when it goes up! ; )
@johngermaine I just checked mine again…the option is the second from the bottom under Other Options.
Thanks, I’ll go take a look! Woo-Hoo!! I don’t mind paying MY taxes, but I really don’t want to pay it for others!!
How will this work with the new Google tax info requirement?
Their Help article says, “Include item-level override values in your data feeds or via the API: These values will override your account-level default settings for that item.”
If we set our tax info in Bonz settings will this be included in our Google feed?
@ CrystalBlueAttitude – sorry for the delay in replying. I’m looking into this on our side (confirming things) and will get back to you later today.
Thanks, Alex!!
@CrystalBlueAttitude – we will pass the tax rules as configured along with the product data in the Google feed. This should go up with our next release and well in time for Google’s deadline.
That’s good news! Thank you, Alex.
This is great news- I just asked about this a couple of weeks ago! Thanks for coming through for sellers as always!
I’m a little late in asking this so if anyone reads this I’m still a bit confused. If we have the tax set up here does that or does it not override the tax setup on our GCO and Paypal accounts? I’m still not quite understanding this issue and if I need to change it. Thanks.
No nexus? No sales tax.
Those that huddle around the government tax trough and similar Big Box paid sycophants have yet to explain how they’re going to SAVE us all some lunch money, instead of SPEND it at every notion.
The only thing streamlined about the alleged Streamlined Sales Tax is the forest service road to cut down more innocent trees to fulfill more parasitic revenue scold paperwork, with no known increase in productivity at any level – other than China.
So endeth the old EU VAT lesson for today.
I was checking my items in Google Shopping and now the price shows “with tax and shipping”.
This is a problem because I only have to charge sales tax to buyers in my state.
Wondering if this is because of my Google account settings. It also shows it on sellers items listed on other sites.
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