More than $5.00?

[Qwakkeddup]

A 6-inch Italian sub double the meat. A favorite of mine. Haven't had one forever, hadn't even been in a Subway for along time.
So I go in, with my last $5.00 in cash, and ask the lady if my order would be more than that with tax, title, ect. Maybe I was a bad customer, no idea how much it was going to cost all totaled. I don't have a calculator, and the register usually can prescreen a price, I think.
To tell the truth, she really wasn't terribly nasty, but she was very close to the edge of being rude. The other girl behind the counter checked it on the register. Came out at $4.80. Oh, well, I got my sammich, and enjoyed it (burp) excuse me please. Didn't have the embarrasing situation of being short.
Just a little ruffled that I ruffled her feathers.
I really really do wish FF and Resterants would post price with tax.

[Rapscallion]

Partly it's cultural, since everyone expects it to be that way, but mostly it's realism. Customers would just look at the price and - even if it said 'including tax' in neon letters that could be read from Mercury, they'll go somewhere for what they think is a slightly smaller price.

I run into this at work with VAT. Nobody in wholesale posts a price with VAT (Value Added Tax) but everyone in retail does. Retailers claim their VAT expenditure back, so it doesn't really matter to them, and they charge VAT which has to go to the gubmint of the day. However, we also sell to food groups who are members of the public for the most part. So many of them forget that VAT comes into the equation with luxury items such as chocolate or other sweets.

"It's included everywhere else!"

"Nowhere else you shop is wholesale."

I've had that conversation a few times.

Rapscallion

[One-Fang]

I heard it explained that since there are different State taxes, there'd be different prices in national chains, so it's easiest to just state the pre-tax price on advertising and let the locals sort themselves out.

Here, we have GST, very much the same as VAT. Retail prices are always GST inclusive. You pay the sticker price. It's very easy.

I know that when we browse supplier prices for stuff we need at work, this is always GST exclusive.

[rdp78]

Yeah, food tax can be so weird sometimes especially in my state (Virginia) and well, I'll give you an example:
Okay, I have a hunkering for ice cream (which is probably all the time, ) and I have like two options. I can go to the supermarket and by an half gallon container one for 3 dollars (my favorite brand ussually is that much since I think it's generic brand). The tax is three precent (hey, that is something I learn from work) so it's like $3.09 and I had to take it home then get as much as I want. I have another option of going to a local ice cream shop near my house (the local Baskin Robbins doesn't have that many flavors because it shares it's space with Dunkin Donuts) and get one scoop of ice cream. It's the same price as the container but the tax is 10 percent and so I pay like $3.30 for that one scoop. I know I thought it would be five percent but what I know. (Sorry for making anyone hungry.)
So pretty much what I'm saying that in the state of Virgina if you buy prepackaged food it's 3 percent tax but if you buy food that someone has to make/serve to you it's 10 percent. I'm trying to figure out what's up with that 7 percent difference I mean the only thing I can think it's because the restaurants and the like have to get health inspections but it might be something else.

[Qwakkeddup]

I heard it explained that since there are different State taxes, there'd be different prices in national chains, so it's easiest to just state the pre-tax price on advertising and let the locals sort themselves out.

That sort of works, except, don't they charge different prices from store to store, even in fast food? Some franchises don't even play along with promotions. It prolly is what Rap said. Baisically a mind game. Sucks either way!

[Lehk]

I'm trying to figure out what's up with that 7 percent difference I mean the only thing I can think it's because the restaurants and the like have to get health inspections but it might be something else.

in new york unprepared food is tax free, i think the theory behind it is that since food is needed by poor people it would be wrong to tax it.

i guess that means virginia hates the poor.

[jb17kx]

It sounds hard in America. In Australia retail outlets (including airlines, etc) must by law show prices that include any applicable tax. Makes it much easier.

[JustADude]

It sounds hard in America. In Australia retail outlets (including airlines, etc) must by law show prices that include any applicable tax. Makes it much easier.

Yes, well, it's all tradition, remember. We didn't do it so we don't do it.

[chainedbarista]

we're lucky; tax is already included in the posted price, so there's no arguing over the tax after we make a sale, thankfully.

[DevilBoy]

I'm trying to figure out what's up with that 7 percent difference I mean the only thing I can think it's because the restaurants and the like have to get health inspections but it might be something else.

In PA it is similar. In general... unprepared, packaged food in the grocery store is not taxed. Food that is prepared and served in a restaurant is taxed. The explanation I was always given was that having the food prepared for you is a "luxury", not a neccessity... therefore it is taxable.

[Rapscallion]

That's pretty much the definition of VAT over here. If you need it to survive, you don't usually pay VAT on it. Bottled water is VATted, since the taxdudes think tap water is fine.

Heh - the lying shits...

Rapscallion

[Qwakkeddup]

Most bottled water is tap water.

[Rapscallion]

Shhh! We sell the stuff!

Rapscallion

[Bella_Vixen]

I prefer real tap water straight from the tap. Bottled water has no..."flavor" to it, as odd as that sounds.

Crypto water, especially, is delicious. Yummy.

[Cia]

I prefer real tap water straight from the tap. Bottled water has no..."flavor" to it, as odd as that sounds.

Holy cow you want flavor Bella? You should have been living in Rapid 15 - 20 years ago when we were having the 'duck yuck' problem with the city water, which made artisian well water taste like fine spring water. Lovely sulpher smelling crap right from you kitchen faucet. <shudder>

duck yuck aka lake weed