Re: [w3c/browser-payment-api] Should API support billing address capture (for tax computation)? (#27)

VAT rules in Europe get tricky, but : 
 - If there is a shipping address, then shipping address, not billing address, that determines the VAT the merchant pays, so the merchant already knows this.  
 - It's illegal to change the advertised price based on VAT recomputation, so the VAT rate cannot impact the payment directly. 
 - If the merchant needs information from the PSP for their VAT payments, then they would probably prefer it as an end of year tax statement. 
 - There are no requirements on Payment App, PSPs, etc. to provide any information.  It true many do so, but sometimes as a tax statement, and sometimes as a paid tax related service. 
 - Address capture increases the merchant's liabilities under the E.U. Data Protection Directive too, so the PSP to anonymizing data, or doing tax form for you, may actually have value over collecting the data yourself. 

I think the fraud reasons @djackso3 highlights sound more critical than VAT since VAT rate cannot impact the sale.  It's true some merchants could save money by processing this information themselves, assuming their PSP chooses to make it available.  

A Payment App, PSP, etc. should never be forced to make this information available however.  And they should not provide it unless the merchant actually requests it. 

---
You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub:
https://github.com/w3c/browser-payment-api/issues/27#issuecomment-207469142