Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts STAR System
200904303L
MEMORANDUM
TO: Tax Policy
FROM: Jody Frierson
DATE: April 24, 2009
RE: Discounts, Coupons, Free Meals, Buy One Get One Free Coupons, and Rebates
Below is information on price reductions. Retailers should remember to charge
tax only on the final sales price of a taxable item. The final sales price is
the total after all discounts, coupons, “free” offers and all other price
reductions have been subtracted. Tax is due only on the amount actually charged
the customer.
Discounts
Cash discounts are offers to customers that reduce an item's sales price. For
example, a retailer may offer a customer a 10 percent discount on all
purchases. If the customer buys a dress marked at $150, the discounted price
becomes $135. Tax is due on the final discounted sales price of $135.
Coupons
There are two types of coupons that are equivalents of a cash discount:
manufacturer's coupons, which reimburse the retailer the coupon's face value
plus a handling fee; and in-store coupons, for which there is no retailer
reimbursement.
Both types of coupons are handled the same. Because the coupons reduce the
price charged to the customer, the retailer should collect tax on the net
price, after subtracting the value of the coupon.
Some retailers offer to double or triple the face value of manufacturers'
coupons. In these cases, tax is due on the final reduced sales price, after
subtracting the doubled or tripled face value of the coupon.
“Free” Meals and “Buy One, Get One Free” Offers
A restaurant that sells two meals for the price of one should collect sales tax
only on the amount charged the customer. The customer pays no tax on the free
meal. For more information on charging sales tax in restaurants, see our
publication 94-117, “Restaurants and the Texas Sales Tax.”
Rebates
A mail-in manufacturer's rebate that is given after the sale does not reduce
the sales price a retailer charges the customer. For example, a $250 camera
comes with a $50 manufacturer's rebate offer. A customer buys the camera for
$250 then mails in proof of purchase and other documentation to receive the $50
rebate. The retailer must collect tax on the $250 sales price of the camera,
the amount charged the customer.
A manufacturer's rebate that is deducted at checkout is treated as a cash
discount. If a $250 camera has a $50 rebate taken at the time of sale, tax is
due on the final selling price of $200.
A mail-in rebate from the seller may be used to reduce the taxable sales price
of the item. The seller should refund the sales tax that was collected on the
part of the sales price that was rebated back to the customer. For example, a
consumer buys software for $150 with an available mail-in rebate of $25. When
the customer returns the rebate to the store and the retailer rebates the $25,
it should also rebate tax on the $25. In this case, the tax would equal $2.06
(i.e. $25 x .0825 state, city and transit tax), for a total rebate of $27.06.
Or, the seller’s rebate can specifically state that it is a tax included
rebate. By doing so, the seller can rebate a total of $25 to the customer (i.e.
$25 / 1.0825 = $23.09 rebate + $1.91 = $25).
ACCESSION NUMBER: 200904303L
SUPERSEDED: N
DOCUMENT TYPE: L
DATE: 2009-04-24
TAX TYPE: SALES