Re:Bill to Ban Hidden Fees in California Signed into Law
by JumpCrisscross on Monday October 09, 2023 @02:36AM
(#37817579)
> if it's so easy to "know" the local tax rate for various things, why isn't it easy to label them?
We know them generally enough to get by. That doesn’t mean calculating them precisely is a peach. America has a proud tradition of strong local governance. Add to that its federal structure, and the number of entities that can subject a particular transaction to taxes is large.
Most damningly, I believe there have been stores that tried to differentiate themselves on the basis of all-in pricing. It fails. Because unless you’re paying cash or precisely monitoring spending, it doesn’t matter. (There is also a transparency argument in knowing how much is going to the business versus state.)
We know them generally enough to get by. That doesn’t mean calculating them precisely is a peach. America has a proud tradition of strong local governance. Add to that its federal structure, and the number of entities that can subject a particular transaction to taxes is large.
Most damningly, I believe there have been stores that tried to differentiate themselves on the basis of all-in pricing. It fails. Because unless you’re paying cash or precisely monitoring spending, it doesn’t matter. (There is also a transparency argument in knowing how much is going to the business versus state.)