*

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Coupons Shouldn't Be Taxed


July 9, 2008
Coupons Shouldn't Be Taxed, but Government Vouchers Should by Josh Barro
Recently, Best Buy sent checks for a few dollars to customers in Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The checks are refunds for sales tax charged on the portion of their digital television converter boxes they paid for with federal government vouchers.* Those states' departments of revenue have ruled that the $40 voucher should be exempt from tax. As The Consumerist reports, one typical Texas customer received a letter of apology and a check for $3.30.

How did Best Buy, a huge national retailer, get confused about how it was supposed to tax these purchases? Well, there are over 7,400 sales tax-levying jurisdictions in the United States, and the differences between their rules about coupons can be confusing, even for a company with scores of lawyers.

Coupons and Sales Tax
The key area of confusion is that most states treat manufacturers' coupons differently from retailers' coupons.
the retailer issues a coupon and expects no reimbursement from any other party (i.e., a retailer coupon), that is treated like a true reduction in price; first, the coupon is applied, then sales tax is calculated on the final sale price.


Method #1:
$40.00 original price
($10.00) retailer's coupon
$30.00 subtotal
$ 1.50 5% sales tax
$31.50 tax-inclusive price

However, if the retailer expects reimbursement from the manufacturer or another third party (as is typical with manufacturers' coupons) tax is charged on the price before application of the coupon.

Method #2:
$40.00 original price
$ 2.00 5% sales tax
$42.00 subtotal
($10.00) manufacturer's coupon
$32.00 tax-inclusive price

The above is the rule in a preponderance of states, including (for example) California, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Tennessee.

Other states treat all coupons as discounts, regardless if they will be reimbursed by the manufacturer. In other words, "Method #1" above applies to all coupons. States using this rule include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Since Pennsylvania and Texas are both states where manufacturer's coupons are not taxable, it's somewhat surprising that Best Buy used "Method #2" in those states. Our guess is that Best Buy viewed the vouchers not as coupons but as gift cards. Gift card purchases are ordinarily taxable.
So, How Should Coupons Be Taxed?

Free one year subscription to Popular Mechanics

$14.93 paid (oop) - 21¢ free and a money maker @ Walmart - Playa: The Magic of Coupons

oop -21¢
free and a money maker
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

Free one-year subscription to American Cheerleader

Free one-year subscription to Truckin'

Another Dish @ HEB. HEB feed you while you Shop. This was Delicious Too. And a Nice Size Serving.

Note* See Kroger - HEB and Walmart are Appreciating Their Customers.
{I hope they continue}

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Free: Mango Pineapple Smoothies Sample @ McDonalds June 30 - July 3rd

Thanks, Playa: thethriftydeafies

FREE SAMPLE SIZE MANGO PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE
All day June 30 to July 3rd.
*this is only a sample size-
 no coupon is required.

$38.93 paid (oop) $2.14 @ CVS - Playa: The Magic of Coupons

oop $2.14
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

$1 paid (oop) $0 free @ CVS - Playa: The Magic of Coupons


oop $0
free
Playa: The Magic of Coupons

$29.16 paid (oop) $6.57 @ HEB - Playa: The Magic of Coupon$


oop $6.57
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

$6.92 {Clearance price} paid (oop) $1.62 @ CVS - Playa: The Magic of Coupons


oop $1.62
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

$16.24 sale price paid -$1.99 free and a money maker @ CVS - Playa: The Magic of Coupons


oop - $1.99
free and a money maker
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

$52.04 reg price paid (oop) 96¢ @ CVS Playa: The Magic of Coupons


oop 96¢
Playa: The Magic of Coupon$

Monday, June 27, 2011

CVS Taking Expired Coupons? via Playa:Coupon Clipping Daddy

It appears as if CVS takes EXPIRED coupons with rain checks!

A reader over at Raining Hot Coupons has reported that CVS's corporate policy allows the use of an expired coupon with a rain check, as long as the coupon expires after the rain check issue date. This is AWESOME news, and hopefully other stores will follow suit!
I plan on verifying this myself the next time I'm in a CVS, but in the meantime, you can read the whole e-mail from the reader HERE.

Coupon: BOGO Smoothies @ McDonalds

Coupon: $5 of $25 @ Dollar General

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

HEB had some Great Tasting Gumbo Today (shimps, sausage, chicken) served with White Wine


note* She gave you a nice size serving. Each serving had 2 shimps, 2 chucks of chicken, and 2 thick sausages poured over rice. Then she gave you  a sample of white wine. That Gumbo was very Good.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Posting Your Complaint on Walmart Facebook. Walmart Responds Quickly.


Playa: Monica Macatubal

hello walmart! i love your new coupon policy but sadly the stores in the inland empire (california) refuse to follow it. Wes Green, the district manager told me that the regional manager in this area said that since the coupon states 1 per purchase. I could only use 1 per transaction. But they will GLADLY take ALL my coupons but I just have to do 1 coupon in the transaction and go stand in line again.If I have 10 coupons, I have to do 1 coupon at a time in eqach transaction and stand in line over and over again. I don't think your coupon says anything like this?!!
46 minutes ago 

Walmart - Hi Monica - We’re very sorry that happened. We want to know what we can do to help. Please share your story with us at: http://tinyurl.com/FeedbackHelp
38 minutes ago 

July 8th is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. If you dress like a Cow, you can get a FREE Meal!

Southwest Airlines $40 Fare Sale

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Why is there Such a Push to Feminize Men Now. Why are They pushing Women Out to Work and Letting the Man Stay Home.

Last year 154,000 stay-at-home dads took care of 287,000 children under the age of 15, compared with 49,000 stay-at-home dads in 1996, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Where Have The Good Men Gone?

Kay S. Hymowitz argues that too many men in their 20s are living in a new kind of extended adolescence.

A New Generation of TV Wimps - This is what They are preparing the next generation to accept.
click here

This is SO........Sweet!!! This one is for the Playa-Hataz.

Note: So this is what the Stores been enjoying all alone when they adjusted our coupons down then sent in the coupon for the full amount to be reimbursed. Imagine all the overages stores have been or is getting from our coupons.

$56.19 paid (oop) $2.19 plus received $5 & $2 Coupon @ HEB - Playa: The Magic of Coupons

oop $2.19
Playa: The Magic of Coupons

Friday, June 17, 2011

Coupon: 20% on Everything @ Kohl's

Attention FoodTown Shoppers- FoodTown on the Beltway wants you to Cut each coupon separately or They Won't take them.

Note* The Manager said if you cut several coupons at a time that is considered gang cut and Foodtown won't be reimbursed for the coupons. So he suggest to cut each one differently. ????  (Just passing on what  he told me)

Apparently Red Plum, Smart Source and P&G are filing suit against eBay for allowing the buying and selling of coupons


Note* Looks like they are lying when the companies say they want more people to use coupons.
Apparently Red Plum, Smart Source and P&G are filing suit against eBay for allowing the buying and selling of coupons. They are also in talks regarding the same with TLC. According to them it`s all considered coupon fraud.
Before, we were allowed to give away the leftover q`s and those returned from papers that did not sell. We must now destroy all leftover inserts immediately. Newspaper employees are allowed to take home ONE insert per family member , per household.
They are going to do everything possible to make it almost impossible to get coupons without buying the actual newspapers. They are also going to shut down all online sites that sell whole coupon inserts.
So, it appears MAJOR change is coming

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Mail Call from Playa: The Magic of Coupons





NOTE* from Playa: Michelle I used mine to by toilet paper that was on sale at kmart. I read the back carefully and realized it was just a regular gift card. I called the 1-800 number on back, yep, regular gift card. Just to be extra safe, when I went to the store, I went directly to customer service and asked them. They read the back, ran it through the register (said it was a $10 gift card) and called their own corporate office. They said it is just a $10 gift card, use it whatever you want.