I'm having trouble figuring how I can do the following:
 
In California there's an eWaste tax on all devices with an LCD screen in them which goes up depending on size
 
http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub95.pdf
 
My problem is getting this to occur after taxes have been applied and the device is in the shopping cart. I've tried it as an Option and Subcomponent but just when I thought I had it I discovered it's adding taxes to the tax which is incorrect.
 
I also need it to have 3 different options depending on what size screen the device has but not user selectable. I would like it to show the charge for the customer when added to the cart though.
 
Can anybody help?

Hi Nick:
 
What version of software are you on?
 
Is this what you need:
 
Any product that has LCD needs to be charged additional taxes. The tax amount depends on LCD size?
 
From version 3.5 onwards, ViArt has dual Tax system. Here what I cam up with, I hope this is what you need.
 
Create product types of different LCD screen sizes. (Admin>Products>Product Type> eg LCD 3" size
 
When adding a new product, link it to that Product Type (LCD 3" Size).
 
Go to Admin>Orders>Tax Rates.
 
Add a New Tax rate, call it say LCD3" Tax, select your State, Country.
 
In the Tax Base rate add 0 for 0% Tax
 
Here you will find at the bottom listed ALL your Product Types, corresponding to each of your LCD product type (LCD 3" Size) place the tax rate for that size, lets say 3 for 3% tax rate for that size of screen.
 
What this will do in your check out screen is add all the taxes and also provide a breakdown of each Tax type and its value independently.
 
Hope this makes sense to you. i tried it and it seems to work.
 
1. Add Product Type - LCD Screen Size
2. Add tax and place required percentage amount against that product type.
3. All product with LCD screen link them to that Product Type.
 
Is this what you want? Maybe someone else has a better method.

I just tried this out and from the beginning I unfortunately had problems with it.
 
Here are some things I need to avoid:
 
1. I'm already using the Product Types on these products because they are laptops and I'm using it for the Predefined Specification so I can have identical features on all products so customers can compare.
 
2. That gives a tax percentage but this is not a tax percentage, it's a static amount depending on the monitor size, not the price of the object (eg. monitors 5"<15" cost $8, monitors 15"<35" cost $16 and monitors >35" cost $25) so an object that costs $15 and has a 7" monitor would incur an $8 ewaste fee and an object that cost $10,000 and has a 5" monitor would incur an $8 ewaste fee also.
 
Sort of complicated but sort of easy at the same time, you would think it would be extremely easy to set this up but so far I've failed misserably

Let me think, have to go out right now. Maybe we can come up with something. Perhaps ViArt has some ideas?

I suppose you have to display this as a separate entity and the amount based on the screen size on the invoice?
 
I see what you mean about percentage. And since this is only applicable to California it could become an issue.
 
The product types would still work, you would have to modify it slightly, but the %age is going to be an issue.

It would be nice to display it as a separate entity so people know why they're being charged an additional fee.
 
I know this specific tax is only in California but there must be something similar in other parts of the world.
 
One thing which I thought may be possible is creating a separate product that didn't show up in the store and was not taxed and was mandatory for certain other products.
 
I haven't tried this yet but I'm really running out of ideas and still banging my head against a wall.
 
Thank you for trying to help me so far, kind of a hard wall.

OK, I've got it down to the point where it works like this (but still minor problem to be worked out):
 
I've set up 3 products in my store for the 3 different taxes and have put them in a category that's not listed. These products are listed as tax free and I just have a generic picture of the logo which is a recycling image.
 
Under product types for Notebook Computers I have a Subcomponent set up for each tax and the ability for me to select which one is displayed in each product.
 
I then select the correct product and leave out the other two for all notebook computers so this option is mandatory for the product.
 
Here is the problem: It shows the main product in the store with the price added for the Subcomponent EVERYWHERE so the tax is now added from the beginning before the customer even sees the product.
 
It would be completely perfect if I could have that Subcomponent added when the product is added to the shopping cart only.
 
Any ideas?

Oh, but another problem arises if I ever sell outside of California... So this is a temporary solution at best.

Another problem with doing it the previous way I mentioned:
 
It gives User Types discounts to the Tax also and not just the product. Again a similar problem to the tax being taxed.

Nick:
 
I'm in the same boat and have just asked Viart for an estimate on a fix. I figure that the best we can hope for is a flat fee tax option. Create some eWaste product types, assign products to those types, then assign the tax to that. This would meet the minimum requirements for California (it would be best to display the eWaste fee with each product). I'm waiting on a response from the development team and will let you know what happens.

I asked also. Let's hope they're kind considering there must be many more people out there that need similar features but are just doing without but very unhappily.
 
This is Nick btw

The cost for a custom modification to perform this was quoted at $300 but they said that we can go in on it together if a couple people are looking for the same type of modification.
 
I'm not going to do it unless I can get a few others so I'm hoping there are others out there. So far it looks like me and one (if you're still interested) other which would put the price at $150 each.
 
Please get in touch with me if you would also like this feature and we can get the price down to benefit us all in both price and feature. My email is nleffler@technkl.com
 

 
Thanks,
 
Nick
Technkl Computer Services
www.technkl.com

Yup, I got the same answer. I'll be in touch!