Configuring Taxes for Canadian Sites/Zones

Ok the above post is wrong. the GST is right,but now I need to add a 70 cents Service Charge BEFORE the GST. Any ideas on how to accomplish this??

Yeah... don't. Why bother with a separate service charge??? Just add some small amount to your shipping costs as a handling fee. Don't complicate things for really no reason. People won't even notice a $0.70 increase in shipping but as a service charge they are likely to see you as nickle and diming them. Up to you, but if you insist on doing it your way, you should start a new thread somewhere because it really has nothing to do with this topic.

• Steven

Opps I meant a order processing charge. I figured it out all I had to do was install thw low order fee module and then just chage the wording from low order fee to order processing fee. Also this is for Avon Canada and they require this fee on all there products,even if you aren't selling online.

And what is 70 cents now a day when most people can afford 2007 Trucks,$350,000 homes, $45,000 quads,$50,000 Fifth wheel trailers.:smile: :thumbsup:

They can't afford those things. That's why we have debt problems, unaffordable housing, homeless people, and poor education.

Glad you figured it out!

• Steven

This was mentioned in another thread, but seems to have been overlooked...

What do we do for specific customers who are PST exempt? :blink:

ie.
Customer A, in Ontario, buys product X and pays both PST/GST.
Customer B, in Ontario, buys product X, is PST exempt so only pays GST.

Same product, and same shipping location yet different tax situation. (as if Canadian taxes weren't confusing enough)

Any thoughts?

I don't think its been "overlooked" so much as its just the product isn't really designed for it. I totally see your point though.

In my case, these transactions are VERY far in few in between (only twice in three years) so I just manually adjust after-the-fact by going directly into the database.

Probably what you need is a 3rd party contrib that allows for tax-exempt customers. The contrib would calculate based on one zone, unless tax-exempt is true, in which case it would base it on a different zone. In your case customer B would have a zone of Ontario, but for tax-only calculations would have a zone of Alberta (for example). Something like this may already exist - I'm not sure.

• Steven

Anyone know if there have been any developments as far as displaying GST/PST on separate lines? :dontgetit

Tully:

Anyone know if there have been any developments as far as displaying GST/PST on separate lines? :dontgetit

This one is needed. This has kept me from going with Zen and instead I'm stuck with the retarded template system in X-Cart (WTF? are they thinking)

why is it so "needed"? There is no tax requirement (that I am aware of) that requires you to break down the two taxes on seperate lines. In fact, hand written receipts that just say "tax included" are fine... as long as it mathematically is sound, and it is reported properly to the government(s), it really doesn't matter.

So if you have a reason, say so... otherwise "needed" is a bit of an over-statement and if this is the sole reason you are using an inferior shopping cart, well...

"desired" I can understand.

If it is for your own tax reporting purposes, there are simple SQL commands you can use to directly query your database to determine how much GST or PST you have collected.

• Steven

s_mack:

why is it so "needed"? There is no tax requirement (that I am aware of) that requires you to break down the two taxes on seperate lines. In fact, hand written receipts that just say "tax included" are fine... as long as it mathematically is sound, and it is reported properly to the government(s), it really doesn't matter.

So if you have a reason, say so... otherwise "needed" is a bit of an over-statement and if this is the sole reason you are using an inferior shopping cart, well...

"desired" I can understand.

If it is for your own tax reporting purposes, there are simple SQL commands you can use to directly query your database to determine how much GST or PST you have collected.

• Steven

Well the retail industry that I'm is reviewed by Revenue Canada quite a bit. We have to keep strict tax details and records to make it easy for us to deal with audits and to keep them off our backs. But I'll double check with my accountant tomorrow I believe in BC you have to show PST on a separate line.

s_mack:

why is it so "needed"? There is no tax requirement (that I am aware of) that requires you to break down the two taxes on seperate lines. In fact, hand written receipts that just say "tax included" are fine... as long as it mathematically is sound, and it is reported properly to the government(s), it really doesn't matter.

So if you have a reason, say so... otherwise "needed" is a bit of an over-statement and if this is the sole reason you are using an inferior shopping cart, well...

"desired" I can understand.

If it is for your own tax reporting purposes, there are simple SQL commands you can use to directly query your database to determine how much GST or PST you have collected.

• Steven

Perhaps the need is from the BUSINESS side and not necessarily from the customer side.

I'm quite sure there are many SQL commands that could be run to get various information out of the database, HOWEVER, they are not readily available or known to the majority of ZenCart users.

When there are multiple taxes calculated on an invoice they should always be indicated separately, period. A breakdown of individual taxes displayed on an order/invoice is NEEDED, DESIRED, and REQUIRED.

It is bad enough that the system does not come with reports to generate this information which means that it must be totaled manually with information taken from the orders. When the taxes are combined, it now involves more steps and more time for something that should have been included in the first place.

Stop quibbling over semantics (need vs. desired) when the best practice is to have them listed individually. :frusty:

Try this... stop demanding crap if you aren't going to contribute.

It is not semantics. A "need" is something that has to be fixed/added or the community collapses. A "desire" is a feature you want that others have been dealing without for YEARS.

I agree it would be nice. And when someone has time and inclination, I'm sure it will get done. Either do it yourself and share it with the community, or pay someone else to do it and share it with the community... or make your REQUEST and be patient.

I'm in BC. I get audited with the best of them. I needed the report and I figured out how to run the SQL command to get it. I'm in the same boat as you, but instead of making demands I learned to stop sweating the little things and educate myself a bit if I can't wait for others to do it for me.

Just a little hint... someone could provide you with the SQL command to run if you'd just ask politely.

• Steven

s_mack:

Try this... stop demanding crap if you aren't going to contribute.

I'll demand anything I want and no where in my post did I "demand" anything except you did in your mind. Now imagine my middle finger in front of your face.

s_mack:

It is not semantics. A "need" is something that has to be fixed/added or the community collapses. A "desire" is a feature you want that others have been dealing without for YEARS.

I agree it would be nice. And when someone has time and inclination, I'm sure it will get done. Either do it yourself and share it with the community, or pay someone else to do it and share it with the community... or make your REQUEST and be patient.

I'm in BC. I get audited with the best of them. I needed the report and I figured out how to run the SQL command to get it. I'm in the same boat as you, but instead of making demands I learned to stop sweating the little things and educate myself a bit if I can't wait for others to do it for me.

Just a little hint... someone could provide you with the SQL command to run if you'd just ask politely.

• Steven

I don't want to be running no sql commands I'd like the receipt/checkout to show GST/HST and PST on seperate lines. Most other carts that support the CDN tax system have this already.

Talked to my accountant and she said were better off having all taxes on seperate lines.

s_mack:

Try this... stop demanding crap if you aren't going to contribute.

What demand? No DEMANDS have been made, and this issue was simply re-raised from a post that originated over a year ago.

s_mack:

It is not semantics. A "need" is something that has to be fixed/added or the community collapses. A "desire" is a feature you want that others have been dealing without for YEARS.

Well, in the US, it isn't an issue. In Canada it is. This issue has moved from 'desire' to 'need' for people using ZenCart in Canada - whether they realize it or not.

s_mack:

or make your REQUEST and be patient.

The issue has now been officially requested on the SourceForge site.

s_mack:

someone could provide you with the SQL command to run if you'd just ask politely.

Nah, apparently I'm too demanding to ask politely. shrug

Ok well I will step in with my opinion about the separate taxes.

I would love to have the taxes on separate lines. I tried to do it myself, but I am just not knowledgeable enough with php to do it.

I have a separate invoicing system that we produce invoices on when a customer e-mails or calls us. We don't want to add them on line because we have all of their customer information in the off line system and some of them do not use the internet (if you can believe that) :p.

Anyway, at the end of each month I hand add my Total sales, GST, PST, and shipping and put it on a spreadsheet so I can submit my PST and GST easily. I am a clerk at my real job, so doing this job is about 1 hour a month and at tax time, I do a print out and write a cheque.

Because Zencart does not separate the taxes, I now have to manually calulate the pst and gst on each invoice and write them down before I start. This will add at least an hour to my month.

I don't need them separate, but it would be so great. I know I can run a sql report, but then I have to run the report and only add some of the items when doing my totals. If are a keypuncher you understand that the less you have to think, the faster and more accurate you are.

One last point, some of my customers would like to actually see how much pst and gst they are paying. It is a perception thing. No they don't need it, but they would feel more comfortable seeing them separate. Hey and I am all about making my customers happy if it is possible. A smooth trouble free and clear transaction is where I want to get to.

Again, no it is not required by law, no one "needs" them separate, but it would be great if they were. Yes I could pay for it, but it is hard to justify the $300.00 I was quoted (by at least 3 people) to do it.

Just my opinion, Pat

Well I'm done the x-cart farce (what a waste of time that was) and gonna start designing Zen cart to fit the new site I'm building. I'm willing to put in money in for the changes needed to show taxes on separate lines. I'm still not 100% sure on Zen but will be back once I retest it some more

Odd thing is happening with a stock 1.3.7.1. When I set up the store with the instructions one the first post and use Ontario as stated, taxes show up fine in the gross price when adding/updating a new/old item and adding a new net price.

But if I substitute Ontario for BC and set the store zone to BC, the gross price gets double taxed at 13%.

Any ideas?

evolver:

Odd thing is happening with a stock 1.3.7.1. When I set up the store with the instructions one the first post and use Ontario as stated, taxes show up fine in the gross price when adding/updating a new/old item and adding a new net price.

But if I substitute Ontario for BC and set the store zone to BC, the gross price gets double taxed at 13%.

Any ideas?

Hmm I guess I'll have to read up more on the cart. When I login as an user and go to check out I get the proper taxes. When I set the price under admin the gross price is PST/GST * PST/GST

Why is that?

evolver:

Hmm I guess I'll have to read up more on the cart. When I login as an user and go to check out I get the proper taxes. When I set the price under admin the gross price is PST/GST * PST/GST

Why is that?

In the admin, the "helper" that shows the taxed price has a quirk that causes it to aggregate all taxes when displayed on that particular page. It's only a display thing, and has been fixed for v1.3.8.

DrByte:

In the admin, the "helper" that shows the taxed price has a quirk that causes it to aggregate all taxes when displayed on that particular page. It's only a display thing, and has been fixed for v1.3.8.

Ahh thanks for the info.