Fees, bonuses, forecast and accruals

In short: Packtally estimates each state's fees from your own pounds at the published rates. On Pro it also finds the Colorado and Oregon fee bonuses your packaging may qualify for, forecasts what to budget and when invoices land, writes monthly accrual entries for QuickBooks or Xero, and tracks your California plastic reduction against 2023.

Fee estimates

• Each state's fee on Reports uses your pounds by category at that state's current fee schedule. Data for one year is billed at the next program year's rates, so Packtally says which schedule it used and whether those rates are final.
• California adds charges on plastic, per pound of plastic and per plastic part, so Packtally records both for every item.
• Where a state offers a flat fee for low volumes (Oregon and Colorado, for 10 tons or less), Packtally shows it next to paying by the pound. The flat fee isn't always cheaper.
• When the programs publish new rates, Packtally reloads your estimate.

Washington, Minnesota and Maryland ask for a simplified report for now, with fees to follow as each program's plan is approved; Packtally shows where a schedule hasn't been set yet.

Fee bonuses (Pro)

Colorado and Oregon pay back part of your fees for lighter packaging, recycled content and lower-impact designs. On Bonuses, Packtally checks your packaging records for candidates and fills a worksheet you can attach.

• Colorado: four bonuses (reduction, enhancement, recycled content, and reuse and refill). Each takes 5% off dues on the qualifying packaging, up to $50,000 together.
• Oregon: Bonus A for a life cycle assessment and Bonus B for a lower-impact redesign. Both need a life cycle assessment, and Packtally shows when the next submission window is expected to close.

For each candidate you see the packaging item, the pounds, why it may qualify and its estimated value at current rates, and you download the worksheet as an Excel file. Bonuses only apply where you pay fees. CAA's guidance in the producer portal decides eligibility, and you submit the forms. During a trial, values show rounded and the worksheet opens when the plan starts.

Fee forecast and budget (Pro)

Forecast is for your finance team or accountant:

• By state: fees for the data year, projected to the full year at your pace so far if the year isn't over, and what to set aside each month.
• Invoices: which months each state bills, so the cash goes out when you expect it. Oregon and Colorado invoice half in January and half in July.
• Next year: enter your expected growth in orders to see next year's fees, and which states growth could make you owe in.
• Download the budget as a CSV: each state's fees, next year at your growth rate, the monthly set-aside, the invoice schedule and whether the rates are final.

Accruals for QuickBooks or Xero (Pro)

Under For your books, download monthly accrual journal entries for these fees, spread across the year the packaging shipped, as a QuickBooks Online or Xero journal import file. Name the expense and liability accounts (Packtally starts with "Packaging EPR fees" and "Accrued EPR fees"). Each month gets a twelfth of the fee, and December takes the rounding so the year adds up exactly. Your accountant should confirm the accounts and the treatment.

California plastic reduction (Pro)

California's SB 54 cuts plastic packaging against 2023: 10% by 2027, 20% by 2030 and 25% by 2032, by weight and by number of plastic parts. The targets bind CAA across all producers; you commit to your share in your source reduction plan and report progress each year.

1. Set your 2023 baseline. Enter your plastic pounds and plastic parts into California in 2023 from your records, or let Packtally estimate it from how many orders you shipped to California in 2023 (from Shopify's sales by shipping region report). An estimate assumes your packaging hasn't changed since 2023, so it shows no cut until you enter real figures.
2. Watch this year against it. Packtally shows this year's plastic into California, the cut so far by weight and by parts, and whether you're on track, close to the line or need to cut more, in pounds and parts.