VAT added depending on Attributes selected

[fairestcape]

Are your customers general consumers, or are they trade customers.

If they are only general consumers, then you need not display the vat anywhere - not even on the invoice. If your webshop is splitting out the vat, then you can adjust settings to prevent this.

It is also not clear how one ATTRIBUTE for a product can be vat-free, and others be vat-inclusive.

Please provide an example of one of your products where one attribute carries VAT and another attribute does not carry VAT.

(Either way... there is no mechanism in standard zencart to treat attributes from a tax or tax-free point-of-view.)

[JaminT]

Our customers are the general public, so displaying VAT is not essential. Although if we (personally) buy something from a general website and want to put it through our business book then we often want VAT to be displayed. Also, there are often professionals in the sport we are supplying goods for who may want to put things through their books. However, i accept your point, maybe we could turn VAT off and just supply invoices with VAT if they are requested.

An example would be a pair of shoes.

Sizes 3-5 are ex-vat
Sizes 6-11 are inc-vat

All one product (and sometimes the same retail price) but some have vat and some do not.

Please let me know your thoughts.

[fairestcape]

Assuming that your store is set up for UK vat - which will include VAT at 20% set as a tax rate and VAT EXCLUSIVE at 0% set up as a tax rate (both with the same PRIORITY number), and that these are applied to UK as a ZONE... AND that the store's settings are configured to show tax in the order confirmation and the invoice...

... the best way (only way) to show different sizes of shoes is to split the shoes into two products - one for chldren (to whom the vat-free option applies) and the other for adults (to who the vat option applies).

When you add/edit5 a product, you will select the VAT rate for the adult shoes and the VAT FREE rate for the children's shoes.

The user manual that can be purchased off this site (link above) provides good information on setting up the taxes and zones.

[JaminT]

Thank you fairestcape.

That is what we have been doing so far. But having them as two seperate products is awkward when it comes to women with small feet who will have to follow a link and to various other products this applies to. Especially when a lot of our competitors websites do not have to do this.

I think i may look into seeing whether a developer can custom make this.

Also, to stop Tax displaying on checkout and invoice. Is it Customers > Order Total and removing Tax? Or does this do something more severe than just remove it from these 2 places. Will it still calculate a total in vat?

[schoolboy]

Thank you fairestcape.

That is what we have been doing so far. But having them as two seperate products is awkward when it comes to women with small feet who will have to follow a link and to various other products this applies to. Especially when a lot of our competitors websites do not have to do this.

VAT law in the UK does not apply to the SIZE of the shoes. It applies to whether they are being sold to be worn by ADULTS or CHILDREN.

If an ADULT is purchasing a size 3 shoe to wear themselves, in terms of the law, that adult should pay VAT. However, if an adult purchases a shoe identified by the retailer as a CHILDREN'S shoe, then they are likely to get away with it.

I think i may look into seeing whether a developer can custom make this.

Also, to stop Tax displaying on checkout and invoice. Is it Customers > Order Total and removing Tax? Or does this do something more severe than just remove it from these 2 places. Will it still calculate a total in vat?

NO... don't tamper with OT.

I suggest you purchase the MANAL and go through all the areas relating to setting up taxes.

[JaminT]

Thank you for your advice schoolboy.

Got the manual. Have taxes set up and all is working fine.

We understand the laws on vat, many of our suppliers supply shoes or, for instance, horse riding hats that the smaller sizes are ex-vat as they claim they are "children" sizes. But a lot of these are purchased by adults.

My question only really relates to whether attributes can handle varying vat rates. And from researching and advice here i do not think there is currently a mod for it (i have only been able to find an osCommerce mod).

So we are left with 3 choices....
a) Set up 2 seperate products for the same item. 1 with vat and 1 without. Not ideal as it may mean customers give up if their size is not available when looking at the first product and buy elsewhere.
b) Remove VAT from the OT, so instead it just shows totals. Then if a customer needs a VAT receipt they can request it and we will supply a shop receipt (the one we use for out accounts). Not ideal either as the customer might not return if it is a hassle.
c) See if a developer can develop a module. Most likely what we will do if it is not mega money and is possible.

Unless anyone reading this has another idea?