CruzBuy Announcements

Nov222024

Important Update: Reduced R&D Sales Tax Rate for Equipment Purchases
The UC system has reached its limit for the qualified Research & Development (R&D) tax rate discount. Moving forward, qualified equipment purchase orders (POs) issued through December 31, 2024, will be processed without the reduced tax rate.

UCSC Procurement strongly encourages researchers to delay new equipment purchases eligible for the reduced R&D sales tax rate until January 2025, when the partial exemption resets.

Background:
California’s partial sales and use tax exemption (“partial exemption”) for purchases of qualified R&D tangible personal property has a limit of $200 million in qualifying purchases per calendar year for the entire University of California system. Unfortunately, this limit has been reached for 2024. As a result:​

• The reduced R&D sales tax rate of 5.8125% cannot be applied to any additional qualified equipment purchases or leases in 2024.
• All remaining 2024 equipment transactions will be subject to the standard sales tax rate.

​​More information about the program can be found on the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration website.

​Exceptions:
Orders issued before this announcement that qualify for the reduced rate and have already been processed will be honored.

If delaying your purchase until January 2025 is not feasible or you have urgent needs, please consult UCSC Procurement at strategicsourcing@ucsc.edu​.​​

Oct142024

New Bagelry Contract
​We’re thrilled to announce that The Bagelry has entered into a special contract pricing arrangement exclusively for UCSC faculty and staff!

This means you can now enjoy their delicious bagels, spreads and catering services at discounted rates whether you’re picking up, ordering for delivery, or arranging catering for your events.

Special UCSC Pricing Includes:

• Discounted Bagels and Spreads: Get your favorite bagels at reduced prices.
• Catering Deals: Affordable options for meetings, events, and celebrations.
  
• Convenient Pick-Up and Campus Delivery: Enjoy the ease of ordering for pick-up or have your bagels delivered right to your office.

​ ​
To take advantage of these exclusive benefits, simply mention your UCSC Affiliation​ when placing your order.

​For more details or to place an order, visit Bagelrysantacruz.com​ or give them a call at 831-429-8049.​

Dec192023

Notice to Vendors: Fraudulent Purchase Order Email Activity

We want to alert you to an increase in email scams involving fraudulent purchase orders and requests for product quotations purporting to originate from UC Santa Cruz Buyers. While the university cannot prevent this illegal action, we actively work to inform our suppliers of this on-going activity. Common features of these supplier-targeted counterfeit UCSC orders include:

• Invalid contact information, such as email addresses using deceptive extensions; e.g. @ucsantascruz.com, @ucsc.mygbiz.com, or @ucscedu.org
• The email message is poorly written, with misspellings and awkward sentence structure
• Orders start with an e-mail inquiry asking for a quote for a small order followed by a subsequent request for a larger order
• The order designates​ a Ship-To address that is not a UCSC facility or indicates the product will be picked up at the supplier’s premises
• The message may include an attachment designed to look like a purchase order, and it may include a logo or other graphic, and in some cases, a signature
• Please note that the university’s internet address is www.ucsc.edu and it is not our practice to ask our suppliers to ship to addresses that are not UCSC campus facilities. It is also not our practice to place orders for merchandise that will be picked up at supplier premises
• The request lists the address of UC Office of the President in Oakland, which is not a UCSC address
• The request includes the title of Procurement Chancellor, which is a fictitious position

If you believe you have received a fraudulent order or quotation request, you may forward it to UCSC Procurement Services at buy4me@ucsc.edu to verify the communication’s legitimacy before responding.