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French invoice (specifically for Canada?) in regards to sales tax

EmporiosaEmporiosa
in Closed Suggestions Vote Up0Vote Down
Good morning!

I'm looking for help and clarification hopefully from someone in France as well on this issue. I just had a buyer contact me in French (from Canada, in Québec), asking why the sales tax was being referred to as Impôt. This term in Canada is used (I believe) primarily in regards to income tax, and not sales tax (which is why they were confused in the way it was invoiced). I'm suspecting it has to do perhaps with the way it is in written in French in France for the VAT/TVA? Here's an example from a QC invoice:

Total CA $69.46
Expédition et manutention (Tracker Parcel) CA $10.00
Incl. 5% Impôt CA $3.31

Do we have anyone from France who could perhaps confirm if Impôt is commonly used in the sales tax field? Or if this was just a translation error?

@Lawrence - is the language configuration for the invoices based purely on the language, or is there a way for making regional modifications based on country as well?

Thank-you! :smiley:

Sarah
-Emporiosa

Comments

  • 9 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • HoddieHoddie
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    Impôt means tax if that's what you're asking.
  • HoddieHoddie
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    They're probably expecting to see QST? Or perhaps GST/HSA? This being an international marketplace it's perhaps not possible to include country-specific terms?
  • EmporiosaEmporiosa
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    @Hoddie Yes in general Impôt means tax but in Canada, it's specific to income tax (not sales tax). "Les impôts" is what they pay the "tax man" at the end of the year in Québec, but for sales tax, it's referred to usually as a 'taxe'. The specific terms in Québec for the GST/PST/QC tax are TPS, TVH and TVQ (but that's a whole other thing thing that I'm trying to keep more general lol)

    It's why I'm asking if someone from France (or really any of the francophone speaking European countries) can confirm if Impôt is commonly used for sales tax, which I can more easily explain to Québec buyers why it is written this way. Or if perhaps, it was actually just a translation error by using the too "literal" term of the word (because a Google translate of just tax gives Impôt so this is what I'm trying to verify). If Impôt isn't commonly used in France/EU for sales tax either, then it likely was just an error and we can find a more encompassing way to write it (and if taxe also works in francophone EU then I think it also satisfies the Québecers too :smile:).
  • EmporiosaEmporiosa
    edited November 2020 Vote Up0Vote Down
    @Hoddie And I just did a more specific Google translate (as I use it for 'world French' verifications) and sales tax does not use the term impôt either. It is 'taxe de vente'. So this is also why I think it is actually an error in the translation by using the too literal translation of the word tax in isolation of the type of tax.

    And the french term for VAT, being TVA is 'Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée' - so again, it leads me to believe that EU francophones also use the term taxe, and not impôt, for sales tax
    tax.JPG 42.5K
  • HoddieHoddie
    edited November 2020 Vote Up0Vote Down
    Sales tax in Belgium is referred to as TVA in French and BTA in Flemish/Dutch. A retailer who charges VAT/TVA/BTA/etc. is required to specifically declare the VAT/etc. element using the correct terminology, so in France it would also always be declared as TVA. People might informally refer to 'taxe' but it wouldn't appear on receipts, invoices, etc.
  • EmporiosaEmporiosa
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    Yes that's the same in QC (and Canada in general) but the way Lawrence has it implemented for Canada as a whole is more generic, which I think is ok for CRA as long as it shows the tax rate (which it does). So if you see BTA in Belgium, it does mean that he has it programmed based on country as well since we don't see it referred to as that here.
  • Brick_qcBrick_qc
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    As a quebecer, I confirm "Impôt" means income tax. As I understand taxation, there's no reason for a French seller to add VAT or TVA to an overseas purchase.
  • LawrenceLawrence
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    If there is a translation issue, we do have a page where members can become translators and edit any incorrect translations. If any member wants to do this they can just let me know.
  • EmporiosaEmporiosa
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    @Brick_qc Thank-you! Yes it's actually on our Canadian invoices. I had a buyer ask him why I was charging him income tax :smiley: I asked him to send me the snippet and sure enough it said "impôt".

    @Lawrence I don't want to register as a formal French translator as I would be doing a great disservice to the French language lol But I'll see if there's a way that I can at least put in a translation for this one part of the invoice (would probably only apply to QC Canada because in EU they use VAT and we don't).
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