RE: Europe and VAT

Posted by Andrew Ballantine on
URL: http://ofbiz.116.s1.nabble.com/Europe-and-VAT-tp143103p143104.html

I am sympathetic to the VAT problem and have quite a bit of experience with
UK VAT.
Here are my comments:
1. UK allow calculation of VAT per item or for the whole invoice, but the
general practice is to calculate per item as it makes it easier to allow for
items with different VAT Rates and zero rated items.
2. NOT rounding the VAT on each line is a new one on me because you risk
getting an apparent rounding error unless you print the full fraction of VAT
on the invoice. This could cause problems on returns/refunds.
3. In general values printed on any financial document should add up exactly
so the rounding is generally done per item, in the UK anyway.
4. Accounting is generally done in whole cents/pence thus avoiding any
rounding errors providing the data is stored in whole cents/pence e.g.
Binary Coded Decimal. I understand that some bulk product items are priced
in fractions, but this is rounded at the item line in the invoice i.e. when
it has to enter the accounts.
5. Accounting generally keeps tax and VAT out of the profit and loss
accounting so that the tax/VAT is separated from each item/invoice and
recorded in a different account.

The logical thing for ofbiz to do to satisfy a variety of tax styles is to
have flags in the database at company level that the code checks and acts
accordingly. We are unlikely to come up with a scheme that works for all.

The flags required might be something like this:
USA
        Tax whole invoice
        Check customer location and local tax rules
        Round whole invoice
UK
        Tax by line
        Round each line
I (Italy)
        Tax by line
        Round whole invoice
and others

For ofbiz to be an international solution, potentially for global
corporations this is the structure needed. I assume that everyone is doing
local modifications to get around these issues at the moment, so a generic
solution is needed if a little difficult, at first, to implement.
Hope this is of interest.

Kind regards,

Andrew Ballantine.

-----Original Message-----
From: Roberto Santori [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: 19 December 2006 15:26
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Europe and VAT


Hi,
I'm working at the European (Italian/Romanian) version of OfBiz and I'm
struggling with VAT.

The main problem with the current version is the impossibility to separate
VAT from Sales Tax.
Note also that VAT % could be different for each different line in the same
order (and here a more difficult problem: rounding should be done only at
VAT group level, not for each line in the order).
Finally, the management of VAT, free gift and accounting: in case of free
gift (zero price) the taxable amount is 0, but the VAT MUST be paied anyway
(by the client or by the vendor), based on the standard price / value of the
gift.

The VAT problem is really a stopper for the entire European community. I saw
the JIRA issue 366, and I'm writing to push.... Pls contact me if you need
help (I'm a newbie in OfBiz but quite expert in european ERP systems
management).


Best regards,

Roberto Santori
[hidden email]
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