re: Why does America not add taxes on listed prices?

quote:

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99 percent of countries have taxes added on a price tag. If the bread says $3.50 then that what it is. America is one of the few counties who doesn't add tac till you are checking out. Why is this?

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Because it keeps the customer acutely aware of the governments partnership in everything you own. Adding the tax into the displayed price tends to let one forget that for some reason you should pay the government for every purchase.

True story, once when my BIL and SIL came from the UK for a visit she exclaimed how high the 7% MS sales tax was on every single purchase. Her husband quickly reminded her their sales tax rate or VAT was 25%, it was just hidden in the price already displayed.

Would make sense to do it, but...

at least the way "we" do it, we all understand how much tax we're paying... not just "snuck" into the price.

I think I'd rather know.

Not including taxes also helps with menu costs. A change in sales taxes won't necessarily force all businesses to change listed prices, saving some time and money.

The food stamp card carriers wouldn't be able to do the math to figure out if they can afford that coke and snickers at the checkout.

Marketing.

Similar to why they use 97 and 99 cents instead of rounding up. I'd actually love to see stores just fold the total price into the shelf labels but I think now days doing it with the tags will be hard to do since they use the same tags across a large region, with varying local tax rates.

I still wish I could go to say McDonald's or Taco Bell and buy a burger or Tacos for $1.

Not 1 dollar plus tax.

I realize that's less money going to the restaurants but hell that shite is dirt cheap anyway. Leave off one pickle. You'll make your money back.