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> They claim that if the government could calculate taxes for you, then it would be too easy... to add new taxes that you wouldn't notice. As a non-American wh
by WorkerBee28474 2y ago
> They claim that if the government could calculate taxes for you, then it would be too easy... to add new taxes that you wouldn't notice.
As a non-American whose country break out the VAT into a separate line item, with the explicit intent to inform consumers how much tax they are paying, and who has shopped in countries where they roll it all into one, I can say that this 'claim' is absolutely what happens in practice.
- jedberg 2y agoAre you saying the only way that citizens are informed of the current tax rates is through price tags?
- WorkerBee28474 2y agoWhy on earth would I say that?
- jedberg 2y agoThat's what your comment implies. That taxes are being hidden because they aren't on the price tag.
- Aloisius 2y agoOr not on the receipt.
- johnnyanmac 2y agoThey are "hidden" the same way manufacturing costs, labor, theft correction, psychological penny deduction, etc are hidden on your receipt, sure. You need to research to look all that up. Meanwhile, you can simply check "VAT rate 20xx" and find that. It saves time doing the math for your state sales tax and then doing mental math to figure out what you leave the store with.
- cameronh90 2y agoIn the UK, VAT is incorporated into the price. This does lead to some sort of an awareness issue. Pretty much everyone does, of course, know that the VAT rate is 20%, but still you always get people complaining that we’re being ripped off when something which costs $1000 ends up being sold here at £950.
- Reason077 2y agoEven in countries where price tags must include VAT/GST, the exact tax content is usually broken down as a line item on invoices and receipts. Best of both worlds.