Alpha 600sc User’s Guide
119
Calculating Your Tax
from .32 to .54 is taxed two cents. The tax table progresses in a similar
pattern.
To calculate your tax rate
1
Using The Worksheet on page 123, complete Step A with the
appropriate amounts from your state's Retail Tax Chart.
2
For the following, see the Example Tax Chart, Step B:
The difference between the starting amounts of each consecutive tax
bracket is called a breakpoint. Every tax table consists of a particular
sequence of breakpoints.
In our Example Tax Chart, the difference between .00 and .13 is .13
cents. This 13 is the first breakpoint. The difference between .13 and .32
is .19 cents, which means 19 is the second breakpoint.
The breakpoints continue in a particular sequence through the entire tax
table. It is this particular sequence of breakpoints that is used to
determine the programming code.
• Using The Worksheet, complete Step B by calculating the breakpoints
based on your state's Retail Tax Chart.
• The sequence of breakpoints is divided into
Regular
and
Irregular
patterns. All tax tables repeat a pattern of irregular breakpoints that
lead into a pattern of regular breakpoints.
To determine the breakpoint pattern, continue calculating the
breakpoints in Part B until you have found the Regular repeat
breakpoint pattern.
From our example:
Breakpoints 13, 19, 23, 27, 27, 29 are the Irregular breakpoint pattern.
Breakpoints 25, 25, 25, 25 are the Regular repeat breakpoint pattern.
The Regular repeat breakpoint pattern is a point where you first see a
repetition of one or more numbers, which must then add up evenly to
100, 200, 300, and so on. In our programming example, the Regular
breakpoint pattern (25, 25, 25, and 25) adds up to 100.
Using The Worksheet, determine the Regular breakpoint pattern based
on your state's Retail Tax Chart.
3
For the following, see the Example Tax Chart, Step C:
The first number to be programmed consists of the Base Tax followed by
the number
1
. In PRG position, type your Base Tax number, followed by
the number
1
, then press the
Tax 2
key.
• The Base Tax - A base tax is defined by local or state government and
refers to the minimum point where no tax is charged. If no tax is
charged from .0 cents to .12 cents, then .12 cents is your base tax.