I'm not surprised, but a tax on my PlayStation controller? On my surprisingly excellent Status ear buds? Because they have massive 30ft range that will obviously impact the big Telecommunication companies in absolutely no way, shape, or form?

I realize the WiFi tax is about killing Microsoft's desire for wireless, rural broadband.

Mainly bitching about my disdain for crony capitalism.

I'm kinda surprised because the government generally likes to fund itself through theft and slavery, a luxury tax like this one is abnormal.

Sure, why not?

I mean, take a look at a cell phone bill. I just looked at mine. I directly pay exactly ten different, specifically-enumerated taxes and surcharges on it, plus a $7.38 "recovery fee," which is my provider's way of passing along to me the various fees and taxes which the local, state and federal governments impose upon them.

One of the specific, direct taxes is the Regional Transit Authority tax. A portion of my phone bill, therefore, goes to pay for busses and trains in northern Illinois.

What sense does that make? Answer: if it is possible for a government to collect revenue from something, they will do it.


Gas bills, electricity bills, water & sanitation bills, all of them are chock full of random little taxes and fees, many of which have absolutely nothing at all to do with the product or service being purchased.



Remember when a three cents per pound tax on tea was enough to lead to a war?


Granted three cents was worth more in 1767 than today, but then think about how much tea a pound is. It is a lot.

I'm surprised the tax on emails never happened. The Post Office has for decades pointed at email as a main reason their revenue has decreased and the corresponding need to raise postage prices. Thinking about that I guess the tax was applied just not as a tax... which now leaves the door open for a true tax.

Oh I know, we have a tax on our water bill to help pay for EMSA (ambulance service).

This talk of taxing consumer goods and services got me to thinking about something peripherally related.

Having spent some time living and working in Germany, the way they express retail prices is a bit different. If you're in a store, and you see an item on the shelf with a price tag that says €10, that is exactly the amount that you will hand to the cashier. The price displayed on the shelf includes all of the applicable taxes and fees which the retailer is required to collect.

Here in the US, we don't do that. You pick up a product (let's call it a bottle of bourbon) with a price tag of $29.99, and you wind up paying $36.74. Because the price on the tag didn't include the state sales tax, the local sales tax, the local liquor tax, the bottle fee, etc.


With one exception: gasoline. If the pump says $3.69, you pay $3.69.


Why is that?

Same reason your check stub separates your tax and social security, so you know how much you are paying. I'll bet most Germans don't know exactly how much sales tax they pay, I know damn well mine is 7%


in a word, transparency.

Actually most Germans know exactly how much they pay. While it’s included in the price you see it’s also separated on the sales receipt. Europeans, in general, are far more tolerant of the tax rates than Americans. At least in my experience working there.

I'm not calling you a liar but man I find that incredibly hard to believe. The average American has no idea how much they are taxed and we do everything we can to hit a person over the head with it.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) here is included in the shelf price/sticker price, and the actual tax paid is shown on the invoice/receipt. Generally speaking, the GST replaced a lot of different taxes and excises at the retail level, so for the average punter essentially if taxable, there is only one rate (10%).

Transparency FTW.

All good and dandy, but the US has 50 different state sales taxes and who knows how many County and city sales taxes. You could easily find 5 different tax rates in a hour drive.

to the euro, does that gst tax include the vat?

Congratulations, you take the prize.

Of course we know that - we are just pointing out there are better taxing models around. That you are unwilling or unable to fix that is entirely your problem, you will not get any sympathy from here. Go cry on the shoulder of someone who cares.

Damn, you're right.

If only all retailers in the US used computer-based systems to print all of their shelf labels, with this being part of the exact same system which supplies pricing info to the checkout registers to coordinate with the UPCs and is thus already programmed with all of the relevant information pertaining to the local tax rates.


GST is just a different name for VAT. They mean the same thing.

GST doesn't include VAT, it is VAT.

I can’t speak to the rest of the country, but in CT the pumps all used to have the state, local and federal taxes listed, separately, on pretty much every gas pump. But back around 1990 or so, as a part of the act that created a state income tax, the state gas tax was lowered and it became illegal to break the taxes out of the total price.
This classic politician move allowed them to raise the taxes back while also crowing about the income tax allowing them to lower the gas tax. Currently, gas in CT is taxed at $0.476/ gallon plus an 8.81% “windfall profits tax” - currently averaging about .34/gallon - and it’s still illegal for gas stations to post your gasoline price basis.

Well vat isn't a blanket 10%, so something funky is going on there. Almost like some transparency might be useful.
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What taxing issue is the problem that needs fixed? I certainly don't recall any problem being pointed out. I do recall a general question about why our taxes aren't included I'm advertised prices. I certainly don't see it as a issue, I see it as a benefit.

I don't know why you think I'm crying on someone's shoulder or that I want sympathy for a non issue, you might want to head back to the euro part of the Internet until you learn to read English properly.

same in NC and SC, although I'm not seeing it as much as I used to.

Well, I am not from the Euro part of the world, but if you are happy with your smorgasbord of taxes, what was the point of your post? When you say you see 'it' as a benefit, what is 'it' - the smorgasbord, the fact that the sticker doesn't say what you pay, or something else? I'd be interested to hear why you think one (or both) of these are a benefit, and how you rationalise that with the overhead cost to the business of the associated recordkeeping and compliance cost. From where I sit that looks like a massively complex and costly overhead. I hear lots of whinging about our GST cost of compliance, but I shudder to think of your costs - and guess who picks up that tab.

I hate income tax, death taxes, capital gains, food taxes, property taxes and any other taxes that are immoral. I honestly don't care about any other tax that is avoidable, although with the world deciding that the Internet is a human right, the proposed WiFi tax would hit the immoral list.

I thought you were from euroland and their taxes are retarded. If you just have a flat 10% that's pretty reasonable and far more understandable to have the tax worked into the price.