Walmart Taxed Me 6% for Food Item (sales, purchases, income)

[ittle]

I looked at my receipt today and noticed they charged me 6% sales tax on a bakery food item. I looked back over a few previous receipts and they are all ok, except another one where I purchased the exact same item, they charged 6% then too.

Interestingly, I had ordered a different bakery item today that did get taxed 2.5%. Last year I got charged 6% for a particular box of store brand cereal. I complained numerous times to both the local store as well as the main website since this happened at both locations. They only fixed the issue after I threatened to put it out on social media that they were overcharging customers and report them for tax fraud.

I just wanted to check here and see if this is really tax fraud? This seems illegal to me. I'm tired of this. I guess I'll have to start checking every receipt more carefully. It's sad when you have to calculate a receipt to make sure you weren't overcharged.

[VA Yankee]

You would be better off to post this on the "shopping and consumer products" board of CD...

[Bigfoot424]

Fraud? No. Mistake? I guess so. But this is not the board you need for this.

[Flamingo13]

Depending on location - ready-to-eat food is taxed at a higher rate. A bakery item would qualify.

[spencgr]

Wow...someone at Walmart may have accidentally coded an item or two wrong?? Alert the presses!!! I think a Congressional inquiry is warranted.


Seriously, 3.5% on a cake? What are we talking, $0.35, or much less if we're talking a donut? Even if I had noticed such an atrocity, my time is much more valuable to waste trying to talk to Walmart or complaining to random people about the incidents.

Also, you have previous receipts?? I haven't looked at a receipt in years, and they are properly disposed in the first garbage can I see.

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by ittle

I looked at my receipt today and noticed they charged me 6% sales tax on a bakery food item. I looked back over a few previous receipts and they are all ok, except another one where I purchased the exact same item, they charged 6% then too.

Interestingly, I had ordered a different bakery item today that did get taxed 2.5%. Last year I got charged 6% for a particular box of store brand cereal. I complained numerous times to both the local store as well as the main website since this happened at both locations. They only fixed the issue after I threatened to put it out on social media that they were overcharging customers and report them for tax fraud.

I just wanted to check here and see if this is really tax fraud? This seems illegal to me. I'm tired of this. I guess I'll have to start checking every receipt more carefully. It's sad when you have to calculate a receipt to make sure you weren't overcharged.

Prepared food is taxed at a different rate.

[Flamingo13]

Exactly, and regardless or the person who doesn't keep receipts - I do!

[ittle]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

Prepared food is taxed at a different rate.

That's part of why I'm asking here and not on the shopping and consumer products forum. Did I get taxed more because it's a bakery item, like how you get taxed at restaurants? So what is the tax rate for prepared food? This Walmart is in PWC.

But, I originally ordered two different bakery items the other day. One was taxed at 6% and the other at 2.5%. So I think it was a mistake. But the question is what is the correct tax?

I realize some people think it's silly to squabble over $0.35, but to some people, that loss of money adds up and actually means something. Not everyone has the same income. And those bakery items are the one sugary treat I get every two weeks or so. Also, it's the principle of the matter too. A mistake is clearly being made here. I'd like to contact them to let them know.


I suggest you all check your receipts on a routine basis. I've caught numerous mistakes, especially for in-store purchases. In just one month in early 2019, two stores (Walmart and Costco) tried to overcharge me by more than $15 at the checkout. In both cases, the cashier double scanned items. I recall another time around 2007 or so when Petsmart tried to charge me $16 for a bag of pet food that I didn't even purchase. Petsmart has tried to overcharge me at the checkout numerous times, mostly due to human error on their part. Anytime I shop there, I have to calculate what my total cost should be before I get to the checkout because they almost always make mistakes and overcharge me. Ollie's has done this too. Target advertises sales, but then sometimes they don't honor the sales price at checkout. That money adds up if you're not careful. Most people are too oblivious to even notice. $0.35 here, $5.00 there, $10, $16. It's ridiculous and not right. And now I've had two of these issues at different stores within a 48 hr period. Watch what the cashier is doing and check your receipts!

[jobber123rd]

Originally Posted by ittle

That's part of why I'm asking here and not on the shopping and consumer products forum. Did I get taxed more because it's a bakery item, like how you get taxed at restaurants? So what is the tax rate for prepared food? This Walmart is in PWC.

"Prepared hot foods packaged for immediate consumption on or off premises" are taxed at the regular sales tax rate, which is 6% for PWC. What was the item?

[Pat Answers]

I get charged a regular tax on rotisserie chickens there. I guessed it was because it was a prepared food like one would get in a restaurant.