Those kind of tax and price variations are quite common in the U.S. too. Some examples: Bread from bakery plus lunchmeat from deli = taxed at grocery rate, bu

Those kind of tax and price variations are quite common in the U.S. too. Some examples: Bread from bakery plus lunchmeat from deli = taxed at grocery rate, but a shrinkwrapped sandwich using the same bread and lunchmeat = taxed at the higher 'prepared meal' rate (because that's a luxury). One candy bar is taxed at the grocery rate, because it includes wheat in the ingredients, while another is taxed at the junk food rate because it doesn't. They're both mostly chocolate and nougat, but one has some wheat, so it's legally considered a cereal. And of course all of that varies from town to town and state to state, and sometimes even in different neighborhoods within the same town. And of course, some towns cross those political boundaries. I used to live just down the street from a shopping center where the tax rates were different depending on which store you were in (east side of the mall vs west side of the mall). That's all before you get to sales and specials and membership discounts and such. Oh, and tax-exempt shoppers (because they work for a charity or something). People always make fun of the U.S. for not just putting the total final price (tax included) on the shelf but the reality is, we can't because quite often we just can't know what it will be until you checkout. For something that seems so simple and everyday, it really is bafflingly complex.