Paying tax... suddenly optional?

[kpzra]

7.25% here, which was a bit of a shock coming from a state that doesn't charge any.

[blas]

See, I'm still figuring out which foods are taxed here and which aren't.

[antlan87]

Back when I worked a cash register at a 24/7 convenience store on the midnight to 8 am shift, I often had people read the subtotal, and not notice the total lower down on the screen until I pointed it out to them. When this happened early in the morning, I could forgive them, but when it happened BEFORE they hit the bars, or later in the day (like the times I stayed late cause my relief was still shoveling their way out to the road, and/or driving on yet-to-be-plowed roads), not so much, as most of them come in often after they got their coffee at the Tim Horton's next door.

[Peppergirl]

Has this, seriously, somehow become a back-and-forth about the merits and pitfalls of sales tax????

Please, for the love of God, knock it off so that I can go back to sleep.

Jesus.

[emax4]

I would have gotten her name, address and phone number and state that "it has to do with the removal of tax." Then after said information is presented tell her, "ok, now I have your personal information so I know who to report for tax evasion.."

[Kazim]

the Swedish version of sales tax, (atleast i think it is), is called Moms and is equals 25%...
however, here that cost is includede in the marked price

[Draco]

25%? Ouch. Very ouch...

[Little Retail Rabbit]

The woman from the OP wasn't foreign, but when you have a foreigner shopping in the US it can be confusing, at least the first time. I actually first visited the states when I was 11, but I didn't handle any money then. It was only when we went to Florida when I was 15 that I learned about "plus tax". You see, in England, we do pay tax on stuff (fuck, we seem to pay tax on EVERYTHING >.< ) but VAT (or Value Added Tax) is already included in the price stated of an item, so you don't have to try and figure out what you're actually going to pay.

So when I was 15, visiting a game-and-comic book store in a Florida mall, I had no idea that the Dragonball Z magazine I wanted to buy was actually more than the $2.95 advertised.

The cashier looked and sounded just like David Cross, in the role of a snarky, mean, elitist nerd (and btw, not nerd bashing here, am a nerd myself) and spoke really shittily to me*. When he rang up the magazine, he asked for something like £3.25 or something like that. So I asked why he was asking for X when the price on the magazine said Y. He sneered at me "Tax!". I'm surprised he didn't say "moron!" afterwards because his tone certainly implied it. My dad later explained it to me, but there was no reason for him to be so rude. Especially as this was a tourist area and I obviously had an accent. And I wasn't rude either, I meekly said "Oh ok, I didn't know".

I still get a bit confused by it, I don't know what the percentage is, and I have a hard time trying to anticipate the actual cost, so we often leave shopping down to Bear XD

(*Bonus suck, a little unrelated though- I also asked the cashier whether or not Xbox games were regional like DVDs because I knew DVDs from America could only be played on multiregional DVD players in the UK. I saw a game my brother might have liked, but wanted to know if it would play at home. He was rude again when he said it wouldn't play in the UK. Once again, keep in mind- 15 years old).

[PepperElf]

I had a customer like this a month or so ago.

He was buying a bottom-of-the-barrel computer and didn't like the add-on charges. I was able to get permission to take those off cos it was the last in stock, but then he saw $30 extra and questioned that too.

Him: What is this $30 charge for???
Me: That's the tax. *I swiveled the screen around for him to see that it indeed was tax*

I mean I understand his surprise - the store is within 10 miles of the state border, so the sales tax is different (re: higher). But no manager is just going to chop the sales tax off just because the customer doesn't want to pay it. *especially* when it's a computer we don't make any money off of (under $500).

[Dave1982]

OK folks, this isn't Fratching. Far too many posts have had to be removed because there was debating and calling other posters out.

Also, we've been down this road before of saying "sales tax here is XX." Let's get back on-topic of discussing this SC.

[Victory Sabre]

I've had people bitch from time to time about tax. They ask (something to the effect of) "why is it so much?"

So I go through it for them "6.5% is State sales tax. 1% is the city food tax. .5% is the local option tax. .375% is the State Arts and Environment tax." I've never had someone argue with me after going through that, but if someone ever did, I'd say "no. I'm not taking that money out of my pocket"(which it would be).

[EricKei]

I do love how SC's seem to think...if that is the correct word ...that workers have ANY control over what is being charged

I knew DVDs from America could only be played on multiregional DVD players in the UK. I saw a game my brother might have liked, but wanted to know if it would play at home.

iirc:

Standard DVD's, PSP movies, and XBOX/XBOX360 games: Region-locked, will play only in systems meant for that area/region

Blu-Rays, PS3 and PSP games: Region-free, will play on any system (tho there may be some exceptions that were intentionally introduced on to specific titles at the factory)

[Caractacus_Potts]

Kid: Uhmm...I need to buy condoms but I've never bought them before. How much are they?
Pharmacist: Well, these ones are 3 for a dollar.
Kid: OK! I'll take those ones!
Pharmacist: OK, that will be $1.05.
Kid: $1.05...you said it was one dollar.
Pharmacist: Well, there's five cents for the tax.
Kid: (turns white as a ghost) Tacks? I thought they stayed on by themselves!

[dalesys]

Kid: (turns white as a ghost) Tacks? I thought they stayed on by themselves!

I thought tacks were to keep things up, not take them down.