Configuring Taxes for Canadian Sites/Zones

DrByte
Can you help me? I would like to show Ex. VAT or Inc. VAT after the price in the product page is it possible and how can I achieve it?
Thanks a Bundle

evolver:

Now imagine my middle finger in front of your face.
That's the first time someone's gone off at me like that and I didn't get pissed or just ignored it... lol, I laughed. I never heard that before - very original. Good one. (if that sounds sarcastic, its not... I really did find it funny).

Still, it pointedly shows what I'm talking about. You type rudely... you are demanding... and its not going to get you anywhere. Nobody, I found out from experience, is going to respond to the way you are asking and you may as well just STFU if you aren't going to be more constructive.

evolver:

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.

Fine. Don't then. It was a possible in-the-mean-time solution for you and your accountant. Be lazy, don't get the data you want... and you're still no better off. You want it now, you don't want a work around, FU to anyone that gets in your way... blah blah blah. All I'm saying is that its not the way you want it, it has been (more and less politely) suggested in the past... I'm sure they'll get to this LOWER PRIORITY item sooner or later, or hopefully some Canadian programmer will make a contrib for it. I say "lower priority" because Canadians are the only ones that need it (AFAIK) and they make up a small percentage of the total users. The core code is always going to take care of the majority first.

Tully:

What demand? No DEMANDS have been made, and this issue was simply re-raised from a post that originated over a year ago.More tactfully, yes. I'm pretty sure I was one of them too (and likely one of the less tactful, which is why I can give the "be polite" advice from experience - I learned the hard way).[/quote]

Tully:

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.Preaching to the choir my friend. I run a Canadian business too... and I too WANT this. By no means do I need it. Aunt Samantha doesn't require it, so I don't need it. My point was, is, and will remain to be: Canadian ZC users have been dealing with it for years, how is it suddenly a need?[/quote]
Tully:

The issue has now been officially requested on the SourceForge site.
Excellent, thank you for reporting.
Tully:

Nah, apparently I'm too demanding to ask politely. shrugAnd it got you exactly nowhere. If the solution does present itself, it will be due to someone more respectful of the community (see below).

pdprenty:

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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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Now THAT is how you request a feature! Clear reasoning that shows the developers a) situations where the current structure doesn't cut it (offline accounting/data entry) and b) an over-ridding goal that will be further reached by the addition of the feature (making customers happy). Good on you Pat. Hopefully that will help someone make the appropriate effort to get 'er done.

pdprenty:

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.

Ok, so since you are using a spreadsheet anyway, can't you use math to break it down for you so you don't have to type it out manually.

Lets say you are in BC. You have 6% GST and 7% GST. Assuming (and I think we can) that ZC gets it right, you should be able to simply have a column for "tax" and input exactly what ZC spits out. Then have column next to it for GST with a formula like:

=A1*0.06
``` and in the next column for PST have a forumla like:```
=B1-C1

This is assuming you are using Excel, that column A has your sales and B has your taxes (so C has GST and D has PST). GST just takes your sales and times by 6%. PST takes your tax and subtracts your GST leaving you with the PST... zero if it is out of province, and 7% if it is a BC sale.

I used to teach classes on Excel so if you need any help with that, I can certainly do that - PM me.

Again, it doesn't solve the problem in ZC but hopefully it helps you in your particular case.

• Steven

Hi Steven, you said:
Ok, so since you are using a spreadsheet anyway, can't you use math to break it down for you so you don't have to type it out manually.

Actually I just put the totals on a spreadsheet. I have a few hundred invoices a month, I would hate to put each one of them onto a spreadsheet.

I use an adding machine and go through the invoices four times, adding Totals, Shipping, PST and GST (HST). Then I put just the totals onto the spreadsheet.

As I said, I am a data entry clerk, so it really is only an hour a month to total them. You would have to be or know a data entry clerk to understand how fast you can go, I amaze myself sometimes.

If I was to put the invoices on the spreadsheet it would take me several hours to do.

Because the PST and GST are totalled together, I will be going through the invoices to calculate the individual amounts and writing the PST and GST on the invoice before I total them.

Pat

Even still, it would be much much much much much much faster if you made a simple spreadsheet with just four columns as I described, and data entry clerked them full of the sale, tax (as shown by ZC), GST and PST and then copy the columns down. That way, you don't have to manually calculate each one. I figure it would save you the time on the calculator more than anything... not saying it solves your entire problem. Think of it as a simpler calculator that takes full advantage of your data entry skills... the whole working smarter, not harder (or faster) thing. Just trying to help.

• Steven

Hi again Steven, I appreciate that you are trying to help, but believe me, I know of which I speak.

In my work I deal with excel spreadsheets every day, most of them I created. I have been using them for over 10 years and I am pretty good. I understand their worth, and I would do what you suggest if it made any sense to do that.

In fact, I spent 4 days putting together a series of spreadsheets two weeks ago just to be able to look at the impacts of some figures in different scenarios. I really do get how useful excel is. If there were any use for the data to be on an excel spreadsheet I would do it.

I can total all of my invoices going through them 4 times to get my separate totals faster than I can data enter half of my invoices onto an excel spreadsheet.

Bottom line, putting my information onto a spreadsheet would take me longer and with more effort than what I do now, and it would not benefit me in any way to have the information on and excel spreadsheet. It really doesn’t make sense for me to do that.

Thanks Pat

You'll find that the suggested configuration ends up including both the GST (currently at 6%) AND the HST (currently at 14%) for Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick shipping addresses.

The solution is simple, though: as the HST for these provinces includes the GST, the three provinces should NOT be included in the Canada GST Zone. That way, the only tax rate which will apply is the HST.

Hope that helps others in Canada trying to set this up!

Gary Hanrahan
Halifax, NS

No, that is not correct. I use the original suggestion shown here, and if you follow it correctly it will charge only the HST to those provinces. That's why the GST zone is called "GST (except Eastern Canada: NS, NB, NL)" and those provinces are specifically excluded from the definition.

• Steven

Danielle:

Oops sorry, my last post didn't quote the whole post, just a part of it! What I am wanting to do is show the GST and PST on seperate lines on the invoice. And ideally, have them come up in seperate columns in the Sales Report, but that's probably just wishful thinking :P

First time poster here - I have come up with a way to split the GST and PST onto separate lines (for both products and shipping) and I have posted it as a contribution called SplitTaxLines. Assuming that I have submitted it properly, it should be available for download as soon as it gets approval from the ZenCart team.

Figuring out what needed doing was a pain, but in the end it only required modifications to 3 files.

Hope this is helpful to other Canadian ZenCart users!

Awesome, alanhigg! I was just looking for a way to do this myself, glad to see that someone got it done :)

I just searched for this contrib and couldn't find it yet, anyone know about how long it usually takes to get these approved?

usually a couple hours. Either he didn't submit it (properly); its not called "SplitTaxLines" as stated; the admin messed up; or it was so bad they didn't approve it (and I think they approve just about anything) :)

• Steven

Hey all,
Anyone care to help me figure out why my SplitTaxLines contribution still hasn't appeared? I followed the submission instructions and got a confirmation email from the ZenCart team saying 'thanks for your contribution' but then... nothing. I also emailed the team directly to inquire about it and haven't received a reply.

Is it accepted practice to just keep re-submitting until it appears in the list? I don't want to be a nuisance...

For all those wanting to try SplitTaxLines in the mean time, send me an email and I'll get it to you directly.

Alan

My contributions (including very recently) are active usually in a couple hours. So maybe its something you've done or method you used, etc about your contrib that isn't being accepted. Send it to me by pm and I'll take a look at it and see if you've followed the regular format.

But no - obviously you don't just keep reposting it.

• Steven

alanhigg:

Anyone care to help me figure out why my SplitTaxLines contribution still hasn't appeared?

Our apologies ...

There were some concerns about it during initial review ... esp since it alters non-overridable core code files. Re-reviewing it hasn't happened yet since efforts have been focused on releasing 1.3.8.

It's not forgotten. I'll see if we can review it again today.

As to s_mack's comment about recent contribs ... often a contrib "update" will be activated long ahead of "new" contribs, partly because its content is already known.

And, s_mack is correct ... resubmitting, unless something's wrong in the initial submission, will only frustrate things.

But this is now way off topic for the current thread.

Thanks s_mack for offering to review it for me, and DrByte, for shedding some light on the situation. It seems that SplitTaxLines is now available for download!

Just to reiterate DrByte's important comment about SplitTaxLines: it alters core code files. Please be very careful installing it and make sure that you give it a good testing before you even think about using it in your live store.

Enjoy!
Alan

MODERATOR NOTE: AND ALSO NOTE ... SplitTaxLines is currently built for v1.3.7.1 -- Don't use it on other versions without much careful attention.

MODERATOR NOTE: Please carry on all discussion related to the "SplitTaxLines" mod in its support thread:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82117

Thanks for moving my post DrByte, I wasn't sure where it should go.

Pat

Ok...I have my two taxes combined (as per original post in this thread)...everything "seemed" to be working fine...until...someone made an order. Now regardless of what someone orders...the combined tax totals 1.29...no matter how much the order!!! I've gone over it and over it, and can't for the life of me see what the problem is!!

Any ideas??

Thanks!!!

torrence:

Ok...I have my two taxes combined (as per original post in this thread)...everything "seemed" to be working fine...until...someone made an order. Now regardless of what someone orders...the combined tax totals 1.29...no matter how much the order!!! I've gone over it and over it, and can't for the life of me see what the problem is!!

Since you said it's using one tax amount regardless of your choice of products, could it be that it's only taxing your "shipping" ?

DrByte:

Since you said it's using one tax amount regardless of your choice of products, could it be that it's only taxing your "shipping" ?

Good call!!! Thanks! (Funny how ya miss the obvious when you've stared at it too long!!!)9.95 shipping = 1.29 tax! Yup! That's it...now...to find out why it isn't doing the product tax...grrrr...

Found it...ALL my products had "Tax Class" "none", rather than Tax Class = GST/HST/PST. Tested and it works fine now! woo hoo!!!

Thanks much for pointing me in right direction!!!