In an unfortunate incident, Walgreens locations in Massachusetts have mistakenly charged tax on certain grocery items, prompting a call for customers to check their receipts for potential refunds. Groceries are generally exempt from taxation in the Bay State, with only specific baked goods falling under taxable categories.

Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky brought attention to the issue after noticing an additional tax charge on packaged cookies at Walgreens. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that items like Twinkies were incorrectly categorized as baked goods in the company’s system.

While Massachusetts does tax some baked goods, the law applies to a limited list of items, and there are exceptions for certain bakeries and larger orders. It remains unclear how long the erroneous sales tax was being applied, but Walgreens has promptly acknowledged the error and assured customers that the mistakenly collected tax was promptly turned over to local and state tax authorities.

Walgreens is now actively offering refunds to affected customers. To facilitate the refund process, the company has requested customers to call 877-250-5823 with their receipt numbers on hand. In a statement, Walgreens emphasized that the company did not profit from the accidental tax collection and is taking measures to prevent similar instances in the future.

“To help offset future instances like this, our team is working on a communication to be sent to all store leadership,” stated Walgreens.

Customers are encouraged to verify their receipts, particularly for items such as packaged cookies and crackers, and to promptly contact Walgreens for a refund if they discover any erroneous tax charges.