Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Rentrak reporting

This is topic Rentrak reporting - including taxes? in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 03-23-2015, 01:56 PM:

Up to this point I've always sent in my nightly box office take with the GST (federal tax) amount deducted from it.

I just received an email stating that I should be reporting the gross amount including the GST. I guess they like the higher number to add to their totals.

Do you folks report your nightly ticket sales with taxes included in the total amount reported? I never have, but I guess I'll be starting now.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-23-2015, 02:20 PM:

We don't have sales tax in Montana but the rule has always been, if money comes through your ticket window then it's part of the gross and should be reported as such.

Posted by Tony Ratcliff (Member # 1196) on 03-23-2015, 03:27 PM:

When I had a theater in Florida, which does charge sales tax, I set up RTS to NOT include the tax.

The problem when you DO include the tax is that when the flash grosses are picked up by the studios, they will not match your box office reports that you send in at the end of the week, and all sorts of confusion can occur. I.E. you send in a check for what you should be paying, but the studio hasn't updated your account yet with your box office actuals, and you get a call or email saying you shorted the payment. Then you have to call them and straighten it all out.

Also, the studio license contracts say to report the grosses WITHOUT the tax on your box office reports, so I would think the same would apply to reporting to Rentrak.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-23-2015, 05:55 PM:

Since we don't have sales tax I guess I never thought about it -- but after reflecting, I think it does make more sense that you would leave the tax out of the gross since tax money is just "passed through" the theatre to the government.

Posted by Rusty Gordon (Member # 2210) on 03-23-2015, 09:01 PM:

I can give you the definitive answer.

When calling in or faxing in your grosses to Rentrak you *DO NOT* include admission taxes.

If you are reporting your grosses via FTP using your Ticketing POS System, the numbers submitted *DO* include tax. The Rentrak file specification for submissions via POS systems specifically states that including taxes is a requirement.

"Part 1, “Data Definitions” Boxoffice Hourly & Boxoffice Final File

Total_gross is comprised of all of the sales for that business day, even if sold on a previous date, including tax, less total_refunds. Sales for future dates may be reported using the corresponding date in the future.

* * *

Theater_ID_number
Showtime_Date_Time (optional)
Title_number
Title
Total_gross (Entire day, include tax and previous advance sales)"

Rusty Gordon
Sensible Cinema Software