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> The trouble is that Americans seem to be onboard with not adding taxes, and so that's your slippery slope right there. In Europe regulators are like "If the h

> The trouble is that Americans seem to be onboard with not adding taxes, and so that's your slippery slope right there. In Europe regulators are like "If the headline price is €10 but actually nobody pays €10, that headline price is wrong and must be fixed" and they're including taxes in that. Again the problem is that the taxes are different in every municipality and state which presents a calculating nightmare. I mean you do the math on 0.0625% of $17.23. It's super difficult to do and can change frequently anyone that wants to run a business in more than one or two municipalities would have to hire someone full time. Plus there's the extra headache of running a sale, etc. It is more helpful to think of the US as 50 different states that have a common federal government rather than a single united whole.

RF_Savage 3y ago
If they can charge it, why can't they mark it?
- dboreham 3y ago
  They can and do (airline tickets for example). Most hotel web sites will also give you an "all-in" price, although they retain the dark patterns of displaying the ex-tax rate by default, and slipping in a "resort fee" when you check in.
  - Scoundreller 3y ago
    Airline tickets and hotels are straightforward because everyone will pay the same sales tax. At least not too many hotels or airlines offer “$99 at any of our locations in the country” deals. Dunno how it works for “free” stays paid with points in fixed amounts.
brendoelfrendo 3y ago
Gee, if only ride share apps had access to both your starting and ending locations so that they could accurately assess taxes and fees. This is not an intractable problem when your product is a software platform that can look at the location data and do the math for you. > anyone that wants to run a business in more than one or two municipalities would have to hire someone full time. Yes, when you're trying to operate a nation-wide business, you should generally hire accountants and lawyers, or at least consult with them and take their good advice.
- SoftTalker 3y ago
  Yep, if it's "too complicated" to follow the laws in the areas where you have chosen to do business, then you should not do business in those areas, or you should hire someone smart enough to work it out.

RF_Savage 3y ago

If they can charge it, why can't they mark it?

dboreham 3y ago
They can and do (airline tickets for example). Most hotel web sites will also give you an "all-in" price, although they retain the dark patterns of displaying the ex-tax rate by default, and slipping in a "resort fee" when you check in.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  Airline tickets and hotels are straightforward because everyone will pay the same sales tax. At least not too many hotels or airlines offer “$99 at any of our locations in the country” deals. Dunno how it works for “free” stays paid with points in fixed amounts.

brendoelfrendo 3y ago

Gee, if only ride share apps had access to both your starting and ending locations so that they could accurately assess taxes and fees. This is not an intractable problem when your product is a software platform that can look at the location data and do the math for you. > anyone that wants to run a business in more than one or two municipalities would have to hire someone full time. Yes, when you're trying to operate a nation-wide business, you should generally hire accountants and lawyers, or at least consult with them and take their good advice.

SoftTalker 3y ago
Yep, if it's "too complicated" to follow the laws in the areas where you have chosen to do business, then you should not do business in those areas, or you should hire someone smart enough to work it out.