Because of a system coding error in Gator Dining Services, unnecessary taxes have been attached to food items for the past two and a half years.
Lionel Dubay, assistant vice president and director of the UF Business Services Division, said the added tax was probably set in place when the Provisions on Demand Market opened about two and half years ago.
Chris Mott, a first-year UF leadership development graduate student, first noticed the additional tax about two months ago in the Hub’s P.O.D. Market. Knowing general grocery items cannot be taxed in the state of Florida, Mott emailed Gator Dining Resident District Manager Bill Zemba.
In an email response, Zemba said he would consult with taxing experts to get a determination.
Dubay said the error came from the P.O.D Market’s point of sales system and has been resolved.
“It’s relatively an easy fix,” he said.
Dubay said all of the money collected from customers, including the amount that was taken in error, was paid to the state by Aramark, the primary food service on campus.
UF economics professor Jonathan Hamilton said because Aramark sent all of the money to the state instead of separately calculating its liability, the error was therefore unintentional.
“Their mistake cost students, but it benefited the state,” he said.
Contact Alexa Volland at avolland@alligator.org.
