Knowledgebase: Website Bookings
Showing Paid and Unpaid Deposits With and Without Taxes
Posted by Jeff Tweddale on 25 Mar 2008 10:57 AM

Showing Paid and Unpaid Deposits With and Without Taxes



Because BookingCenter can charge an online booking a deposit value (a percentage of the cost or the first night stay) at time of booking WITH and WITHOUT tax, you need to be aware of what was/was not charged, and the tax issues around taxing deposits. This setting to 'Tax Deposits' is set on the Desktop in the Parameters | Policies area and for Management Tool and MyPMS customers in the Tax Configuration area at: https://members.bookingcenter.com/site_taxes.phtml)

If one collects tax from a traveller, then it is required that the tax be paid to your tax authority. So, if the deposit is taken with tax, and that money becomes cancellaltion income, then you have a cultural - and legal - responsibility to remit the taxable portion you took to either the tax authority or the guest. For this reason, most properties who advertise rates without taxes DO NOT tax deposits (all USA and South and Central American properties); while those properties in countries that advertise taxed rates often DO tax deposits.

To show how the monies break down with and without this setting:

On a Booking Detail found in your Members Area (http://members.bookingcenter.com/site_bookings.phtml), there is a complete break out of the booking, both with and without tax values, to help you better manage the booking.

An example of the 'Payment Details' area:

Accommodation Extras Total Deposit
Cost $30.00 $0.00 $30.00 $15.00
Discount $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Adjustments $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
state tax $3.00 $0.00 $3.00 $2.73

Total $33.00 $0.00 $33.00 $17.73
Pay by Visa Paid

If you are not taxing deposits, the un-taxed value is what is presented to the Guest at time of booking. If you are taxing deposits, then the taxed value (the total column under 'Deposits' heading) is what is presented to the Guest at time of booking

This deposit value is also confirmed in the email that the Manager and Guest receives from BookingCenter from the online booking. If you are using the Point of Sale Module (http://www.bookingcenter.com/products/modules/pos.html ) and having deposits processed automatically, then the receipt has been charged and will state 'PAID'. If not, the booking will show UNPAID.
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