3 ms·

That is a bs claim - sure, an online store can't guess prices without additional information (just like shipping needs a zip code to estimate on most order page

by ezfe 3y ago

That is a bs claim - sure, an online store can't guess prices without additional information (just like shipping needs a zip code to estimate on most order pages) But a physical store - everything is the same price no matter who buys it. Paper towels are never cheaper or more expensive at the grocery store unless the paper towels themselves change price. And it's not like receipts don't already divide things up - unprepared food (in MA) is untaxed, but prepared food and some other things are so grocery store receipts already divide food up into categories and indicate where the taxed items are.

mananaysiempre 3y ago
I’m not talking about a store guessing prices or tax, I’m talking about a consumer doing it. If I remember I’m generally paying 20% VAT on my purchases and suddenly I’m seeing $3 of “tax and fees” on my $10 pre-VAT bill, I’ll probably know somebody’s doing something funny. If a store receipt (online or offline) is furthermore legally required to put the pre-VAT price, VAT rate, and post-VAT price for each item separately, there’s no way to sneak in a sudden $1 fee except for putting an item for SUDDEN FEE: $1 somewhere in the list. Presumably such an item would have annoyed quite a few people more quickly and efficiently than the current situation where they need to read about it in the Boston Globe, which might have made the vendor more reluctant to impose the fee to begin with. Again, I’m not saying this situation doesn’t have its own merits, just pointing out that it only exists because there’s an opaque “tax and fees” item to sneak things into to begin with.
WillPostForFood 3y ago
You are right everything is the same price no matter who buys it (except online), but there is a fair amount of complexity to sales tax. Dine in food might be taxed, but take out food is exempt in some states. In my state, bottled coffee is taxed if it is sweetened, but not if it unsweetened. Bakery goods are tax free, unless plates are made available then it is taxable. Sparkling water is not taxable, but sparkling water with fruit flavor is taxable, unless it has 50% juice, then it is non-tax again.
- callalex 3y ago
  Yes but the tax amount will be calculated anyway just fine post-sale. Why not display it pre-sale? What makes that more challenging than post-sale?
- danhor 3y ago
  Dine in food vs. take out food also has different tax rates in Germany of 19% vs. 7%, but vendors offering both will offer the same price after taxes (and ask you so they can do their taxes). Different products in supermarkets also have different tax rates, most "good" food will have a 7% tax rate while it's 19% for everything else (with many exceptions). But the pre-tax price is only shown in fine-print, you as the consumer don't need care what taxes are now on the product while shopping.

by ezfe 3y ago

mananaysiempre 3y ago

I’m not talking about a store guessing prices or tax, I’m talking about a consumer doing it. If I remember I’m generally paying 20% VAT on my purchases and suddenly I’m seeing $3 of “tax and fees” on my $10 pre-VAT bill, I’ll probably know somebody’s doing something funny. If a store receipt (online or offline) is furthermore legally required to put the pre-VAT price, VAT rate, and post-VAT price for each item separately, there’s no way to sneak in a sudden $1 fee except for putting an item for SUDDEN FEE: $1 somewhere in the list. Presumably such an item would have annoyed quite a few people more quickly and efficiently than the current situation where they need to read about it in the Boston Globe, which might have made the vendor more reluctant to impose the fee to begin with. Again, I’m not saying this situation doesn’t have its own merits, just pointing out that it only exists because there’s an opaque “tax and fees” item to sneak things into to begin with.

WillPostForFood 3y ago

You are right everything is the same price no matter who buys it (except online), but there is a fair amount of complexity to sales tax. Dine in food might be taxed, but take out food is exempt in some states. In my state, bottled coffee is taxed if it is sweetened, but not if it unsweetened. Bakery goods are tax free, unless plates are made available then it is taxable. Sparkling water is not taxable, but sparkling water with fruit flavor is taxable, unless it has 50% juice, then it is non-tax again.

callalex 3y ago
Yes but the tax amount will be calculated anyway just fine post-sale. Why not display it pre-sale? What makes that more challenging than post-sale?
danhor 3y ago
Dine in food vs. take out food also has different tax rates in Germany of 19% vs. 7%, but vendors offering both will offer the same price after taxes (and ask you so they can do their taxes). Different products in supermarkets also have different tax rates, most "good" food will have a 7% tax rate while it's 19% for everything else (with many exceptions). But the pre-tax price is only shown in fine-print, you as the consumer don't need care what taxes are now on the product while shopping.