Posted by
T E Schmitz on
URL: http://ofbiz.116.s1.nabble.com/OFBiz-Users-Ofbiz-use-in-the-UK-tp135221p135224.html
Hello David,
David E. Jones wrote:
>> I was just trying to point out how hellishly complicated VAT
>> classification, calculation and invoicing can get in the UK and
>> undoubtedly in other countries, too.
>>
>> For instance, I have just come another ludicrous rule from Customs &
>> Revenue: packaged animal feed incurs standard VAT if it is less than
>> 12.5 kg, otherwise zero VAT.
It can get even more funky than that: certain types of goods *MUST NOT*
be mixed on one invoice although the online purchaser could conceivably
put them into his shopping trolley together. (Sorry, no carts in
Britain!) Most users would neither know nor care about this tax issue
and therefore they can hardly be asked to shop and check out twice. In
other words: two invoices for one order need to be produced.
>> There are specific rules for rounding (on which digit, when up, when
>> down); invoices need to detail VAT codes for every item, etc, etc
>
> Right now the tax calculation in OFBiz is fairly simple. Certain things
> can be accommodated, but there isn't a full-featured tax calculation
> piece in OFBiz. It is getting better over time, but like you say tax
> rules can get really funky...
We have just implemented a /simple/ retail system - it does not cover
shenanigans like special rules for animal feed - but I am fairly
familiar with the UK VAT system in general. (I do our own VAT returns
for a start :-( ). Bear in mind though that the legislation is
constantly changing: invoice formats change, harmonization with Europe,
to name a few.
I think the VAT implementation needs to be pluggable so that any
implementor of an OFBiz solution can plug in the calculations for their
country. For instance, I implemented the VAT calculation as a
locale-based factory.
> If you're interested in helping with or sponsoring any of this, that
> would be great... We actually do have some funding for various tax
> extensions right now, so some stuff will be going in soon.
I have only just started looking at OFBiz and we are intending to use it
for an ecommerce solution, for which the VAT issue needs to be
addressed. As I don't know yet which parts of OFBiz are affected (are
the sources which handle VAT all over the place?), I don't know whether
I will be able to make a usable contribution or whether I will just have
to make do with a quick fudge in the interim.
--
Regards,
Tarlika Elisabeth Schmitz
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