5 ms·

Probably they can get away with it because sales tax is just a tiny percentage unlike the VAT in Europe which is 20%+.

by the_mitsuhiko 10y ago

raverbashing 10y ago
Not really, it's usually around 10%/15%
- the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
  Non reduced VAT is not allowed to be below 15% and there are only a handful of countries with a non reduced rate of below 20%.
- tzs 10y ago
  Current rates: AT 20%, BE 21%, BG 20%, CY 19%, CZ 21%, DE 19%, DK 25%, EE 20%, EL 23%, ES 21%, FI 24%, FR 20%, GB 20%, GR 23%, HR 25%, HU 27%, IE 23%, IT 22%, LT 21%, LU 17%, LV 21%, MT 18%, NL 21%, PL 23%, PT 23%, RO 20%, SE 25%, SI 22%, SK 20%, UK 20% That's the standard rate. Average is 21.5%. For things that qualify for a reduced rate, here are the current reduced rates: AT 10%, BE 12%, BG 9%, CY 9%, CZ 15%, DE 7%, DK 0%, EE 9%, EL 13%, ES 10%, FI 14%, FR 10%, GB 5%, GR 13%, HR 13%, HU 18%, IE 13.5%, IT 10%, LT 9%, LU 14%, LV 12%, MT 7%, NL 6%, PL 8%, PT 13%, RO 9%, SE 12%, SI 9.5%, SK 10%, UK 5% The average is 10.2%.
  - raverbashing 10y ago
    Thanks I meant (US) sales tax in my original post, not VAT
    - tzs 10y ago
      Ahhh...OK. US sales tax (combined state and local) averages 6.4%. The largest is 9.46% (Tennessee).
      - raverbashing 10y ago
        Really? I sincerely had the impression of paying more (in NYC especially) I just checked, I payed 6.5% on an Apple receipt in Florida a couple of years ago I must have thought of the sales tax in Canada which is around those values
lorenzhs 10y ago
Saying "20%+" makes it sound higher than it is. In Germany, it's 19% (7% for food), UK 20% (5%), France 20% (5.5% / 10%). Of course that's a lot higher than the usual US sales taxes (I remember 8.875% in NYC and 10.25% in Chicago, both of which are on the high end of the spectrum - DC was 5.75%)
- rbjorklin 10y ago
  In Sweden it's 25% but some goods have a special VAT of 12.5% instead.
- the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
  The minimum non reduced rate is 15% and the average is above 20%. It goes all the way to 27% in Hungary for instance. VAT on food in restaurants is non reduced rate on mostbof Europe.
  - BrandoElFollito 10y ago
    Except that it is 7% on restaurant food in France. Getting back to the previous 17% (IIRC) is under discussion because the prices did not go down as promised by the restaurant owners.
  - lorenzhs 10y ago
    And I just listed the rates of the three largest countries in Europe, covering ~42% of the EU population. In Germany, VAT on restaurants is 19% for sit-down places, and 7% on food to go. US national average sales tax was 8.454% in Q2/2015: http://www.accountingweb.com/tax/sales-tax/us-average-combined-sales-tax-rate-down-slightly-in-q2 http://www.accountingweb.com/tax/sales-tax/us-average-combin... - I'm assuming normal sales tax applies to restaurant food? In that case it's something like 40% of EU average. Just like gas prices ;)

Probably they can get away with it because sales tax is just a tiny percentage unlike the VAT in Europe which is 20%+.

raverbashing 10y ago

Not really, it's usually around 10%/15%

the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
Non reduced VAT is not allowed to be below 15% and there are only a handful of countries with a non reduced rate of below 20%.
tzs 10y ago
Current rates: AT 20%, BE 21%, BG 20%, CY 19%, CZ 21%, DE 19%, DK 25%, EE 20%, EL 23%, ES 21%, FI 24%, FR 20%, GB 20%, GR 23%, HR 25%, HU 27%, IE 23%, IT 22%, LT 21%, LU 17%, LV 21%, MT 18%, NL 21%, PL 23%, PT 23%, RO 20%, SE 25%, SI 22%, SK 20%, UK 20% That's the standard rate. Average is 21.5%. For things that qualify for a reduced rate, here are the current reduced rates: AT 10%, BE 12%, BG 9%, CY 9%, CZ 15%, DE 7%, DK 0%, EE 9%, EL 13%, ES 10%, FI 14%, FR 10%, GB 5%, GR 13%, HR 13%, HU 18%, IE 13.5%, IT 10%, LT 9%, LU 14%, LV 12%, MT 7%, NL 6%, PL 8%, PT 13%, RO 9%, SE 12%, SI 9.5%, SK 10%, UK 5% The average is 10.2%.
- raverbashing 10y ago
  Thanks I meant (US) sales tax in my original post, not VAT
  - tzs 10y ago
    Ahhh...OK. US sales tax (combined state and local) averages 6.4%. The largest is 9.46% (Tennessee).
    - raverbashing 10y ago
      Really? I sincerely had the impression of paying more (in NYC especially) I just checked, I payed 6.5% on an Apple receipt in Florida a couple of years ago I must have thought of the sales tax in Canada which is around those values

lorenzhs 10y ago

Saying "20%+" makes it sound higher than it is. In Germany, it's 19% (7% for food), UK 20% (5%), France 20% (5.5% / 10%). Of course that's a lot higher than the usual US sales taxes (I remember 8.875% in NYC and 10.25% in Chicago, both of which are on the high end of the spectrum - DC was 5.75%)

rbjorklin 10y ago
In Sweden it's 25% but some goods have a special VAT of 12.5% instead.
the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
The minimum non reduced rate is 15% and the average is above 20%. It goes all the way to 27% in Hungary for instance. VAT on food in restaurants is non reduced rate on mostbof Europe.
- BrandoElFollito 10y ago
  Except that it is 7% on restaurant food in France. Getting back to the previous 17% (IIRC) is under discussion because the prices did not go down as promised by the restaurant owners.
- lorenzhs 10y ago
  And I just listed the rates of the three largest countries in Europe, covering ~42% of the EU population. In Germany, VAT on restaurants is 19% for sit-down places, and 7% on food to go. US national average sales tax was 8.454% in Q2/2015: http://www.accountingweb.com/tax/sales-tax/us-average-combined-sales-tax-rate-down-slightly-in-q2 http://www.accountingweb.com/tax/sales-tax/us-average-combin... - I'm assuming normal sales tax applies to restaurant food? In that case it's something like 40% of EU average. Just like gas prices ;)