Topic: U.S - How does your sale tax work?

@DiscoGentleman well the fair alternative is of course simply let us self serve, of of course we just won't attend those establishments. Bottom line remains that at the ever higher prices of dishes the same percentage of tip is more actual money then the lower percentage of tip when dishes were cheaper. Tips as a percentage of receipt is a fully broken concept as it doesn't represent the actual work or time. You take have to be made of money to pay extra 20% plus tax over the already high sticker prices.

If restaurants stopped running in virtual slave labor and charges the real price they think dining needs to be to pay the staff, restaurants would go the way of the dodo and all would have mcdonalds style counters. As somebody that dines out two or three times a year Max, i could always just stop patronizing then entirely. Plenty of fast chain restaurants would take the money. But that doesn't help the workers either.

You kids and your sales taxes. Nice thing about living in Delaware is there's no sales tax. Doesn't get any better than that.

I generally tip 20% unless the employee servicing me (restaurant, haircut, etc.) is either A. Exceptionally rude, B. Negligent (though if the place is very busy, I give them the benefit of the doubt; it takes a lot for me to give someone a "negligence" grade), or C. Does almost nothing (like at a self-serve buffet). I rarely tip less, though it does happen.

There is a time where I regret not tipping, but it was at a haircut place where I didn't realize that it was expected; this was a few years ago when I had just moved out on my own and had had an aunt cut my hair before that who just charged a flat fee, so I truly didn't realize that I had been a jerk until I looked at the receipt later. I made sure to be less stingy after that.

That cabbie sounds like they were rude. I still would have tipped them, but less than 20%.

Sales tax where I live varies by county and city even. The nice thing about moving is that the sales tax for the county I'm now in is slightly lower.

@DiscoGentleman
Agreed! I worked as a waiter for a summer, and it's a job I think EVERYONE should experience once in their life just to see how cruel some customers can be. It's a tough job, too - constantly running around, lots to remember and coordinate, lots of social interaction/smoothing over/dialoguing/etc.

And it's not just dealing with customers. It's dealing with the kitchen, too. The place I worked at, I was lucky - most of the cooks (they were salaried) were very nice and would totally help you out with special requests from customers, but I've heard horror stories about really difficult chefs making the lives of the front staff difficult.

And I worked at a place where, as a waiter, my job was pretty much 100% being a waiter. At some places the wait staff is also responsible for making/plating salads, desserts, etc. Truly a multi-pronged job!

@Yosheel Hey women like the pretty as well.

OP, tax varies by state, county and item (for instance food tax for groceries is less than for other items). I gotta say I didn't take into account how much higher the tax is here in AZ vs NC... I like never eat out now.

@Ryu_Niiyama never said they didn't. It's just an interesting fact.

There's a mythbusters episode on it.

I know it's too late as you're already there now, but I found a prepaid debit card like Revolut a godsend when in the US. You can transfer funds from your bank at any time to put on the card, and you get a much better exchange rate than any shop will offer. Don't forget you can only bring so much back before you have to pay UK tax on it too.

The US card payment system seems so far behind what we're used to though. I can see why Apple were so thrilled about Apple pay. It takes ages to pay by card.

Also never really understood why someone working at a counter service place like McDonalds requires no tip, but someone serving you drink at a bar does. I'd understand if you were running a tab or getting stuff brought to your table, but for you standing at the bar and them pouring and handing over a drink, it's no different to the staff at counter service restaurants.

I do have to say the majority of servers in the US are amazingly friendly. Yes, they sort of have to put it on, but they're so good you never feel like they are. I know it helps that you and them being from a different country is an easy conversation, but I don't think I've ever had any kind conversation with restaurant staff in the UK.

@DiscoGentleman "bottom line and temporary solution: If you don't believe in tipping, don't go to a place that does tipping."

Indeed, but that's not really helping much, is it? Cutting business off from the restaurant proper where in most cases the owners are also struggling to stay open and remain competitive, and the kitchen staff who gets no tips but gets paid based on people actually eating there and the store staying open, suffer for just cutting off the business too. The servers don't get money for poor tippers, but otoh, the kitchen and cleaning staff gets no money if there aren't customers either. I'd wager they could benefit from the income of poor tippers at a small restaurant more than McDonalds, Panera, and Waffle House need the money.

I don't disagree with your points at all (and for the record I do tip in the "acceptable" range, just not that fancy "20% that used to be for extreme service that's now seen as increasingly standard even though due to rising receipts even 10% is notably more actual money than it used to be thus percentages make no sense for this..."

But it's not as simple as taking business away from small restaurants either. The kitchen staff often has it worse than the servers...reducing customer base makes life worse for them, while the owners themselves are often struggling and avoiding cutting too deep.

In fact I'd venture to say, like "unlimited internet" (that isn't, it's oversold) the whole tip model is based on the assumption that only a certain percentage tips. What would be the advantage of hiding that your $30 meals are actually $40, that your $14 pizza delivery + fees + tip is a $28 pizza to have it delivered if everybody actually paid it? They arrange pricing that way specifically knowing not everybody will pay it, so some pay for others. I'm not saying that's right or disagreeing with you, but it's quite clear that expectation is built right into the model. In a way it's like Humble Bundles. You can buy the service for $1, or for $1000, it's up to you, and hopefully balances out in the end. For Humble it seems to. I wonder how well it balances in service overall?