Action 9: Concord pizza place charged customers too much sales tax

CONCORD, N.C. — Customers said a new Concord pizza place charged too much sales tax and now the state is looking into the matter, which the owner says was unintended.

If you go out to eat in Concord, the sales tax is 7 percent.  But Nonna's Pizza was charging as much as 10 percent.

Two customers, Carmen Bennett and Linda Lebrenz, picked up on the problem and told Action 9.

"I noticed it right away," Bennett said.

"It should be corrected," Lebrenz said.

Nonna's charged them 9 percent and 10 percent.

"How would you like it if I had a store and you came into my store and I charged you 30 cents more than you should be charged?" Lebrenz said.

"I think it's not right.  I know it should be 7 percent and nothing more than that," Bennett said.

When two Channel 9 producers went to the restaurant to check it out, Nonna's charged them 9.99 percent and 10 percent as well.

Now, because of Action 9's questions, North Carolina's Department of Revenue is looking into the business and whether it pocketed the extra money or passed it along to the state.

Bennett and Lebrenz said they complained.

But the restaurant told Action 9, "This is the first that we are hearing about this. We are a new business to the Concord area," the manager emailed.  "We have only been open since July 2016."

The manager said she checked its computer system, that it was wrong, and that she reset it Friday.

"We wish our customers would have brought it to our attention sooner so it could have been corrected. We are a family owned and run business, so we are still trying to work out issues we are having since opening," the manager said.

Action 9 went back to the restaurant and the tax was right, but Nonna's still owes refunds.  If you paid too much and have proof, ask Nonna's for a refund, even if it gave the extra sales tax to the state.  If Nonna's gave the extra tax revenue to the state, it can ask to be reimbursed.

Always check your bill, no matter where you eat.  Don't assume the tax is right.

Cox Media Group