You ask, we answer: Is this Menards in West Milwaukee overcharging on sales tax?
While sorting through a collection of old receipts, Peggy Schaff, 60, noticed an unusual detail on a recent purchase at Menards in West Milwaukee.
In November, during a Black Friday sale, Schaff purchased $87 worth of goods. But her receipt included two different charges for Milwaukee sales tax — one for 5.9% and one for 6.4%.
Schaff contacted Public Investigator to ask if the new City of Milwaukee sales tax had been incorrectly applied to her purchase.
Schaff isn't the only Milwaukee-area customer checking their receipts carefully lately.
Since the new City of Milwaukee sales tax went into effect last year, residents of nearby suburban cities have discovered the increased rate wrongly being added onto their purchases at major retailers and on streaming services like Netflix. The new tax raised the city's sales tax from 5.9% to 7.9%.
In December, Schaff contacted the Wisconsin Office of State Treasurer for help. She said representatives told her to redirect her questions to the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS. Despite repeated follow-ups, she never got a response.
The IRS is not involved in the determination of city and county taxes, so representatives from the agency would not have been able to address Schaff's concerns, an IRS spokesperson told Public Investigator.
Although the name may be deceiving, the Office of the State Treasurer doesn't oversee tax laws. It mainly advises the state Legislature on the spending of tax dollars.
The agency that actually oversees the administration of tax laws here is the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
When Public Investigator contacted the Department of Revenue in March, spokesperson Jennifer Bacon confirmed that the Menards in West Milwaukee is not subject to the new City of Milwaukee sales tax.
However, after reviewing Schaff's bill, Bacon confirmed that the two tax charges on Schaff's bill were correct.
The store had simply separated the sales tax into two line items, she said: one for food items and one for non-food items, which are taxed at different rates.
"Menards split the sales amounts based on non-food sales taxed at the state plus county rate of 5.9%," Bacon said. "Food and beverage items were taxed at the state, county and local exposition tax of 6.4%."
If you're incorrectly charged a city sales tax, you can go to the store or business with a copy of your receipt and request a refund.
Additionally, you could send a copy to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's Customer Service Bureau, and the agency will contact the company directly and request it adjust its transaction system, also known as a point of sale system.
If you are overcharged on tax by more than $50, Bacon said you can request a refund directly from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by submitting a refund claim using the department's My Tax Account portal at https://tap.revenue.wi.gov/. Once you arrive on the landing page, select "Buyer's Claim for Refund."
Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at tfowlkes@gannett.com.
Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to publicinvestigator@jrn.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Shopper confused by double tax on West Milwaukee Menards receipt
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