i will not pay the "Obama tax"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Had a crazy guy come into the games store this week.

Me: your total is $xx.xx
Sc: That's wrong, take off the tax.
Me: excuse me?
Sc: I'm not paying any Obama tax! I refuse to give the government any more of my money.
Me: The tax we charge is a state tax, it has nothing to do with the federal government
Sc: The hell it doesn't! He'll find a way to get his hands on it, he's taking over everything.
Me: I am sorry I can't waive the tax
Sc: Of course not, you and your company are all part of the plan. He's a communist you know.
Me: sir the total is $xx.xx, take it or leave it.
Sc: *throws down what he owes minus the tax and grabs his item off the counter* You'll not be getting a penny more from me.

Then he leaves. I talked to my manager about it. We can't exactly charge him with theft because he paid most of the cost. He did short us deliberately so we've decided to ban him from the store.

NOTE: I am going to run the mods off at the pass here and caution you guys not to let the responses get too far into fratching territory

[Megg]

People amaze me sometimes. "I don't wanna, and you can't make me!" Good on the manager for banning him, that guy has a screw loose.

[Rapscallion]

Just wondering if there's a tax official you can report him to for dodging his taxes.

Rapscallion

[Flyguy]

I'd have called the cops anyway. He did steal from you. The store is responsible for paying the tax to the state. While I sympathize with the idea we all pay too much in taxes, he can't take it out on innocent business owners; they're already paying too much too. If you can't get the police to do anything, at the very least ban him.

[MadMike]

NOTE: I am going to run the mods off at the pass here and caution you guys not to let the responses get too far into fratching territory

Thank you. You have no idea how many idiots like to take a comment like this and run with it.

I'd have called the cops anyway. He did steal from you.

Agreed. The price that the store states is the price. The customer doesn't get to choose his own price. As the OP said, take it or leave it.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

One wonders what this person thought of the taxes before Obama took the office.

The person would have had to pay that tax during "W"'s term, Clinton's term, Bush's term, Reagan's term...and so on and so forth (depending on his age).

[Automan Empire]

Ooooh, the I-don't-pay-tax SC!

The business is obligated to pay taxes based on their sales, whether they collect from the customer or not. Therefore, what this guy did amounts to stealing. I would have called the police.

When I was five years old, I remember taking a hard-earned quarter to the local convenience store for a candy bar. (This was 1972.) The clerk said it was 27c with "tax." I went home crying that the mean man wouldn't sell me a 25c candy bar unless I also paid for "tacks." Given my lifelong gift of Very Bad Timing, my Dad had probably just been working on his annual income tax forms. With no sympathy whatsoever for my tears, he told me in no uncertain terms, "Son, theres this thing called tax, and you have to pay it. " Therefore, I took tax as a given from a young age.

When I was 18 and selling auto repairs to the public, it didn't take long on the job at all before I got my first "I wasn't expecting tax on top of it!" sucky customer. I remember my naive young mind being blown by the fact he was old enough to be driving since way before I was born, and was acting like he'd never heard of tax.

Now that I am the owner, when people try this trick, I am as stern as my father was about it, and the SCs back down quickly when they see that their games won't fly with me. Fine, refuse to pay, but I'm not releasing your car until the bill is paid in full.

Many years ago, an SC at a shop I worked at refused to pay the tax and demanded his car, which my boss then refused. The SC called the cops, who arrived in no hurry, and brusquely told him to pay his bill, and take him to small claims court if you think he's a rip-off, then they left. The SC argued some more, basically grasping at straws with random reasons he shouldn't pay the full amount. The boss refused to budge. The SC called the cops AGAIN. The same cop showed up fairly quickly this time, and even more brusquely told the SC, "Pay your BILL. If you bother me again with this, I'll arrest YOU.

Telling a cop, "My taxes pay your salary!" is dumb. Telling a cop you demand your shit without paying taxes is even more dumb.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Telling a cop, "My taxes pay your salary!" is dumb. Telling a cop you demand your shit without paying taxes is even more dumb.

"Hey, don't forget! If we paid taxes we'd be paying your salary!"

--Peggy Bundy

[Mondestrucken]

I'd have called the cops anyway. He did steal from you. The store is responsible for paying the tax to the state. While I sympathize with the idea we all pay too much in taxes, he can't take it out on innocent business owners; they're already paying too much too. If you can't get the police to do anything, at the very least ban him.

This.

I have had customers complain about paying taxes on cars they have bought, and try to claim tax exemption. Fine. Fill out this form explaining why you feel you are exempt from taxes. Then I process it and you leave feeling all smug.

Until you never get your title in the mail, and Treasury shows up to talk to you and your plate gets suspended, and if caught driving the car, it is impounded and you are arrested.

Like I said: Fine.

[lordlundar]

Just wondering if there's a tax official you can report him to for dodging his taxes.

Rapscallion

IF they got the license plate he could have been reported to the I.R.S. They would have fun with him.

I had a guy similar to that, though not nearly as much of an @$$hole.

The province had just instituted the electronic recycling tax, which how it goes is when you buy a piece of electronic equipment, you pay a set amount based upon what you buy ($10 for a computer, $25 for a certain sized TV, etc). In exchange, you can take your old electronic equipment to a recycling center for free, provided it's not a large drop off like a full pickup truck or something along those lines. Think of it as a bottle deposit for electronics but the benefit goes to the environment.

Now as I said, it was just implemented and only about a month old at this point, so we were making it a point to tell everyone when it was applied to prevent freak outs later on. To my surprise, apart from some minor grumbling about the amounts (some are a little odd), no one had any issues with it. One gentleman of asian decent who isn't fluent in english was buying a TV, which of course had said tax on it. The discussion went as follows:

Me: To let you know sir, the province has applied an electronic tax of $XX (I forgot the specific amount) to pay for recycling of older electronics.
AG: (broken english) Why this extra money?
Me: <explain again>
AG: I no understand (note: that is what he said, word for word)
Me: <explains a third time, then his son explains it to him in his native language>
AG: Oh, I don't want that, take it off.
Me: Sir, it's a legal tax, I can't remove it. If you want the TV, you have to pay the tax.
AG: <finally realizes I'm explaining it and not trying to sell him something> Ohhh, okay, here. <hands me the money owed>

I finish the transaction and he left happy. Not the worst person I've had, but like I say, the reception to the tax was at worst neutral, so it kind of stuck out.

[MoonCat]

People have been grumbling about paying taxes ever since they were first imposed. They should be used to it by now, but let some talking head on TV tell them they're being fleeced (regardless of political affiliation) and suddenly they think they have a new reason to gripe.

I've had lots of people ask me what their total is "with tax." It's nice to be able to say there is no tax on advertising (just about the only thing NY state doesn't tax...shhhh! Don't tell them!)

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I would love to report his ass, unfortunately he just tossed the cash down on the counter and left, I don't have any identifying info on him (at the time it didn't occur to me to try to get his plate number or anything because I was just so stunned at what he'd done).

[bainsidhe]

I've encountered similar grumbling and politics when forcing people to pay tax in retail, but my customers always quiet down and pay it. The ones I have a problem with are the folks who are completely surprised that tax is added to the selling price and suddenly don't have enough money. Without fail, they ask if I can waive the tax or if the store can "spot them" the difference. We do not have take-a-penny jars, taking money from the register is stealing. And don't bother asking if "I" will spot you money, I make a pittance over minimum wage and am not going to subsidize a stranger's candybar or purse purchase. Plus it is NEVER a penny or two. Twenty cents, two bucks, why should we pay your bill? This was a huge pet peeve of mine.

[protege]

Now that I am the owner, when people try this trick, I am as stern as my father was about it, and the SCs back down quickly when they see that their games won't fly with me. Fine, refuse to pay, but I'm not releasing your car until the bill is paid in full.

At least in PA, if you don't pay your garage bill...the shop can legally seize your car. Ever wonder why some of the heaps parked "out back" never seem to move? That's why

[Project_Mars]

This is why i hate people, even fellow anime/manga lovers or those of my own political party (Stupid is stupid no matter what. It invades everything.)

We have for the past few months have been adding a 2% tax on phone cards on top of the sales tax. Initially there were some complaints... and i still get the occasional "What is this second tax for?" question... but nothing like what the OP was talking about.