Nobody types tax at the till. Each line picks up its tax the moment it's added to the sale, from the rates your admin set up. If the tax on a sale looks wrong, the fix is in settings, not at checkout.
Where each line's tax comes from
| What you're selling | Tax charged |
|---|---|
| A service | The service's own Sales tax, or the Default service tax if it's left on Default (org tax) |
| A product | The Default product tax |
| A package | The package's own Sales tax, or the default service tax. A package is prepaid services. |
| A membership | The membership's own Sales tax, or the default service tax. It's charged on the sale and again on every renewal. |
| A gift card | None. Tax is charged later, on what the card pays for. |
| A tip or a service charge | None |
An admin sets the rates and defaults under Settings → Payments & selling → Tax rates. See Set up tax rates.
Prices in Owneli don't include tax. Tax is added on top and shown as its own line.
A rate can have more than one part
A rate such as "GST + PST" is one rate with two Components. The till charges the total of both. The receipt and reports show each part separately, which is what you need when you pay the tax over.
Discounts change the tax
- A discount on one line comes off that line's price before tax, so the tax goes down with it.
- A discount on the whole sale comes off the total the client pays, tax included. 10% off means the client pays 10% less.
- A deal for some items only, even one applied to the whole sale, comes off those items, and only their tax goes down.
- A line given away free carries no tax.
What you see at the till and on the receipt
- Show breakdown, on the right of the checkout, shows the tax by name and rate, such as Sales tax (9.75%). With more than one rate, each has its own row and Total tax adds them up.
- When only some lines are taxed, a note under the tax names them, such as On Signature Facial. That way a part-taxed total doesn't look like a mistake. When nothing is taxed, it says None of these items are taxed.
- The receipt lists tax by rate, with each part of a combined rate on its own line.
If something goes wrong
One line on the sale isn't taxed
It's a gift card, a tip or a service charge, which carry no tax, or its rate is No tax. The note under the tax lists which lines are taxed.
The tax is wrong on a service
Open the service and check its Sales tax in the Settings section. If it's on Default (org tax), check the Default service tax under Settings → Payments & selling → Tax rates → Tax defaults. Then remove the line from the sale and add it again, so it picks up the corrected rate.
Can I change the tax on one sale at the till?
No. Tax always follows the item's rate. Fix the rate in settings, then re-add the line.
A rate was removed and now something charges no tax
When a rate is removed, services that used it switch to the default service tax. A default that pointed at it is cleared, so items relying on that default charge no tax until an admin picks a new default.
Is tax charged when a client buys a gift card?
No. The card is stored value, so tax is charged when it's spent. It's also why a discount on the whole sale doesn't reduce a gift card's price.
Is a treatment gift taxed when it's bought?
No. A gift card bought as a treatment holds that treatment's price and can be spent on anything, so it's stored value like any other card: tax is charged when it's spent, on what the card pays for.