A (small) reason to buy beverage package—-avoid Juneau sales tax

[cruisestitch]

[Ex-Airbalancer]

40 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Same as the vat is charged in Spain 

[leaveitallbehind]

There often is sales tax charged on purchased beverages while in some original departure ports.

[1025cruise]

You can still be charged sales tax with a drink package. 

[cruisetonowhere10]

7 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

You can still be charged sales tax with a drink package. 

Can you clarify….when in port on Juneau with a drink package we will be charged a sales tax (I get it’s very small) for any drink purchased?  

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Can you clarify….when in port on Juneau with a drink package we will be charged a sales tax (I get it’s very small) for any drink purchased?  

Its possible, some ports and cruise lines do it.

[cruisestitch]

27 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

You can still be charged sales tax with a drink package. 

Not on Celebrity

[cruisestitch]

19 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Can you clarify….when in port on Juneau with a drink package we will be charged a sales tax (I get it’s very small) for any drink purchased?  

On some lines but not on Celebrity

[chengkp75]

Saw that the tax is a hefty 8% (5% sales tax, 3% alcohol tax), so Celebrity may not want to swallow that cost anymore.

[cruisestitch]

Good point

[hcat]

we got clipped for a local Ca port sales tax for in-port,  Specialty dining on a Pacific  Coastal cruise.

 

it was never disclosed or explained to us,  so X found a way to give us a small credit!

[long time lurker]

Same happened to us doing specialty dining in San Juan. Apparently sales tax is included in US ports. I just won’t book specialty dining now if a late departure in US ports. 

[cruisestitch]

This got me to thinking, and I checked our reservations for tonight for Tuscan, and found that it is subject to the sales tax. However, they can delay running the ticket until we have left Juneau.  It’s a good thing this was mentioned or that would have been a pricey surprise!!!!

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Saw that the tax is a hefty 8% (5% sales tax, 3% alcohol tax), so Celebrity may not want to swallow that cost anymore.

As the drinks have been prepaid, there is no actual sale when ordering a drink, so no sales tax to pay.

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, Port Power said:

As the drinks have been prepaid, there is no actual sale when ordering a drink, so no sales tax to pay.

In a thread on NCL forum, they are discussing this, and someone posted the wording of the statute, and "pre-cruise sales" for goods and services received onboard in Juneau limits, are taxable.  It's just like other lines don't allow their beverage packages to start in Texas, because even if it is pre-paid, it is when/where the goods are delivered that determines whether it is taxable or not.

[cruisetonowhere10]

Again for a few drinks not a big deal but if someone had a spa treatment, cabana, etc that could add up…even an expensive bottle of wine or high end spirits. 

[1025cruise]

2 hours ago, Port Power said:

As the drinks have been prepaid, there is no actual sale when ordering a drink, so no sales tax to pay.

It still gets rung up. So you can still be charged the sales tax on the cost of the drink.

[cruisestitch]

I have had several beverages at Café Al Bacio today, all included in my drinks package, and no sales tax has been rung up. The cost shows as $0.00 on my account.

[chefchick]

Since most of a closed loop 7 day Alaska itinerary is comprised of US ports does that mean that they could charge you taxes almost daily on drinks while in port? Or are you saying  Celebrity DOESN'T do that IF you have a drinks pkg?   I know I have had to pay taxes on other lines while in the embarkation port (Seattle) for example, but I don’t think I’ve ever been charged at other Alaska ports.

[cruisestitch]

I’m not sure I understand all the ins and outs of it. I can tell you that there was no announcement regarding sales tax in Icy Strait Point but there was today in Juneau.

 

with the beverage package today, no tax was charged. But if you didn’t have a beverage package sales tax was attached to your purchase today in Juneau.

 

We went to a specialty restaurant tonight and made sure that we delayed getting the check until we had departed Juneau to avoid the sales tax.

 

I spoke to some people who were back to back and they said that last week, they were charged sales tax in a specialty restaurant because the meal was over and they were still in port.

[chengkp75]

Alaska has no state sales tax, but some municipalities do. So, the tax would apply only within the municipality limits, for each municipality.  In the past, those municipalities exempted cruise ship sales, but it seems that Juneau wants to make the limited number of cruise passengers it allows now to be more profitable to the city by rescinding the tax exemption.

[PTC DAWG]

I’ll say one thing, I’m not getting on a cruise and fretting about a small sales tax on a drink that may or may not be charged while in port..

 

Do people worry about it if they get off in said port and buy something? 

Edited Friday at 02:07 PM by PTC DAWG

[hcat]

They should put a BOLD  notice in the Daily..so folks can decide what to do..   

 

Am I correct that the local tax only applies when docked.. so stock up! It's like an added port charge!

[tlens]

NCL does.  Celebrity doesn't

[cruisestitch]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

I’ll say one thing, I’m not getting on a cruise and fretting about a small sales tax on a drink that may or may not be charged while in port..

 

Do people worry about it if they get off in said port and buy something? 

Our family group ate at Tuscan last night. The sales tax would have been about $15 for the whole group. We didn’t fret about it, but we certainly made sure that they didn’t run the ticket until we had departed Juneau.