[Due for payment 2026-05-13] [$250] Expense - Review duplicates display empty when using 2 tax rates

[nlemma]

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Version Number: v9.3.37-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: https://test-management.browserstack.com/projects/2219752/folder/13176704/test-cases/76827306?q=duplicate
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): applausetester+vq+admincontrol@applause.expensifail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: Windows 10/Chrome
App Component: Workspace Settings

Action Performed:

Precondition: The user has 2 expenses created, which have different tax rates, categories, but the same amount

1. Open the ND app
2. Navigate to the Workspace chat
3. Click on the report
4. Click on the Review duplicates -> Keep this one

Expected Result:

The tax rate is displayed for the user to select

Actual Result:

Empty on the Review duplicates tax code page RHP

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screenshots/Videos

Bug7101838_1773382565821.empty_tax_code.mp4

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Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @mallenexpensify

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022044056044030800744
• Upwork Job ID: 2044056044030800744
• Last Price Increase: 2026-04-14

[wildan-m]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

When reviewing duplicate expenses that have different tax rates (e.g., one has a tax code and the other has an empty/unset tax code), the review flow skips the tax code selection step and goes directly to the confirmation page. This means the user cannot choose which tax rate to keep.

What is the root cause of that problem?

In compareDuplicateTransactionFields, the taxCode branch only adds the field to change when validTaxes.length > 1 — meaning it requires at least two valid (non-empty, enabled, non-deleted) tax codes to show the tax-code review step:

App/src/libs/TransactionUtils/index.ts

Lines 2482 to 2493 in 5ab0f25

	} else if (fieldName === 'taxCode') {
	const differentValues = getDifferentValues(transactions, keys);
	const validTaxes = differentValues?.filter((taxID) => {
	const tax = getTaxByID(policy, (taxID as string) ?? '');
	return tax?.name && !tax.isDisabled && tax.pendingAction !== CONST.RED_BRICK_ROAD_PENDING_ACTION.DELETE;
	});
	if (!areAllFieldsEqualForKey && validTaxes.length > 1) {
	change[fieldName] = validTaxes;
	} else if (areAllFieldsEqualForKey) {
	keep[fieldName] = firstTransaction?.[keys[0]] ?? firstTransaction?.[keys[1]];
	}

When one transaction has an empty/unset taxCode (e.g., ""), getTaxByID returns undefined for it, so it gets filtered out of validTaxes. This leaves validTaxes.length === 1, which fails the > 1 check, and taxCode is never added to change — so the review flow skips straight to /confirm.

This is inconsistent with how category and tag are handled in the same function. Both of those branches explicitly account for empty values using the pattern availableCategories.length > 1 || (availableCategories.length === 1 && differentValues.includes('')):

App/src/libs/TransactionUtils/index.ts

Lines 2495 to 2505 in 5ab0f25

	const differentValues = getDifferentValues(transactions, keys);
	const availableCategories = Object.values(policyCategories ?? {})
	.filter((category) => differentValues.includes(category.name) && category.enabled && category.pendingAction !== CONST.RED_BRICK_ROAD_PENDING_ACTION.DELETE)
	.map((e) => e.name);
	if (!areAllFieldsEqualForKey && policy?.areCategoriesEnabled && (availableCategories.length > 1 || (availableCategories.length === 1 && differentValues.includes('')))) {
	change[fieldName] = [...availableCategories, ...(differentValues.includes('') ? [''] : [])];
	} else if (areAllFieldsEqualForKey) {
	keep[fieldName] = firstTransaction?.[keys[0]] ?? firstTransaction?.[keys[1]];
	}
	} else if (fieldName === 'tag') {

The downstream ReviewTaxCode component already handles the empty tax case correctly (showing "None" as an option), but the data never reaches it because compareDuplicateTransactionFields doesn't include taxCode in change.

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Apply the same empty-value handling pattern used by category and tag to the taxCode branch: detect whether any transaction has an empty/falsy taxCode, and if so, include taxCode in change even when only one valid tax exists. Also include the empty string in the change values so ReviewTaxCode can display it as "None".

Compare link: https://github.com/Expensify/App/compare/main...wildan-m:App:wildan/85218-fix-duplicate-review-taxcode?expand=1

[melvin-bot]

Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!

[melvin-bot]

Eep! 4 days overdue now. Issues have feelings too...

[melvin-bot]

Huh... This is 4 days overdue. Who can take care of this?

[melvin-bot]

Huh... This is 4 days overdue. Who can take care of this?

[melvin-bot]

6 days overdue. This is scarier than being forced to listen to Vogon poetry!

[melvin-bot]

6 days overdue. This is scarier than being forced to listen to Vogon poetry!

[melvin-bot]

10 days overdue. Is anyone even seeing these? Hello?