I've been told that the unwritten rule of small businesses is that nobody pays all the taxes they owe. Nobody would be able to afford to stay in business if th

I've been told that the unwritten rule of small businesses is that nobody pays all the taxes they owe. Nobody would be able to afford to stay in business if they did. They depend on cash for this. There's a small business (owner and 1-2 employees) here in Seattle that regularly gives me a huge cash discount. He'll print an exact price on the bill, to the penny, and when I pull out cash, he'll notice and just make up a much smaller number, rounded to the $10. On a $50-$150 purchase, it's usually a 30-50% discount. They've been in business for many years so I assume he knows what he's doing. (I wonder if this comment will get people to start offering cash at Seattle area small businesses, in the hopes of getting a discount!)