Journal Stargoat's Journal: Memory 6
When I was about 4 years old, I had collected a number of pennies and nickles (1 and 5 cent pieces). I put them together for the purpose of buying a toy car. I asked my parents my parents if I had enough and they said it would likely be enough to buy one. The local department store was in a nearby town, but was too far for a young boy to walk. My mother was making a trip the next day. When we got to the store, I was delighted to see that I had just enough money to buy two toy cars.
However, when I got to the cashier and the toy cars were rang up, I did not have enough money. I was certain my math had been correct. But I did not know of sales tax. I could not buy the two cars for the wont of 6 cents or some paltry amount.
Indignant, sad, and confused as only a 4 year old can be, I asked what the sales tax was for. I was told I had to pay it. I did not understand. My mother would not give me the few cents to buy the toy. In the end, the cashier felt this was pathetic and paid the few cents herself. I remembered this today when I went to buy some bottled water from a local convenience store and remembered to bring a few extra cents for tax.
However, when I got to the cashier and the toy cars were rang up, I did not have enough money. I was certain my math had been correct. But I did not know of sales tax. I could not buy the two cars for the wont of 6 cents or some paltry amount.
Indignant, sad, and confused as only a 4 year old can be, I asked what the sales tax was for. I was told I had to pay it. I did not understand. My mother would not give me the few cents to buy the toy. In the end, the cashier felt this was pathetic and paid the few cents herself. I remembered this today when I went to buy some bottled water from a local convenience store and remembered to bring a few extra cents for tax.
Isn't water exempt? (Score:2, Interesting)
I thought things considered dietary staples were exempt from sales tax, as the tax would then be onerous to subsistence level incomes.
At least the cashier covered the tax for you.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I thought things considered dietary staples were exempt from sales tax, as the tax would then be onerous to subsistence level incomes.
That is state dependent. Some states charge sales tax on everything - IIRC South Dakota is as example (they use sales tax as their sole source of state income, instead of income tax). Yet other states charge only on bottled water under the argument that you can buy your tap water tax-free. Then other states don't tax anything edible, or some don't tax anything edible or any clothing, then others ... you get the idea. The sales tax system is pretty much a complete patchwork with no two states completel
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
And some states (such as Oregon) have no sales tax at all.
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This is the reason why I want to stay in Oregon (Score:2)
And why I resist strongly any attempt to add sales tax, despite the budgetary problems this has created based on the business cycle.
I'm fine with shipping taxes, warehousing taxes, most other Value Added Taxes. But taxes that apply at point of sale to me are unreasonable and slightly ridiculous.
I even object slightly to the nickel bottle deposit, to the extent that I will buy a sandwich in the deli at Freddy's, then walk outside the store to buy my can of soda from the machine (I assume there, the deposit
The law (Score:1)
here in Australia is that if the price tag does not say GST [aka sales tax] exclusive then that is the price you pay. None of this adding stuff at the register - if that is what the tag says that is [the max] you pay.
Some stuff (eg wholesale commodity markets) do work with GST exclusive prices but that is not at the consumer level - just to avoid the paperwork of adding & paying the tax and removing/getting a rebate at each stage of production.
Is it really that hard to label the goods with the price ch