Pages

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Pita and Taxes

Serach went to buy pita for dinner from a local establishment. She asked the person behind the counter, who's Chassidish, if they took the Lander discount card (a card issued to Lander students, kollel members, alumni, and their spouses), to which the man replied "I remember the guy came in here... you know what, yes, I'll take it." He promptly took off 10%, leaving the bill at about $3. Serach then asked about paying using a debit card, to which he replied "Why not?" When she asked if there were a minimum, he noted simply "No, that's illegal."

This is in stark contrast to another establishment which was happy to take the card... but only if you paid cash. As the owner told Serach, "If I take credit then I have to pay taxes on it!" Serach replied that he has to pay taxes either way, and left.

The best way of putting it: A family friend of my in-laws (IIRC) tells customers who ask about tax, "I don't charge tax. I just collect it."

6 comments:

  1. It was never illegal to set a minimum, it was against the card companies' agreements with merchants. However, in the Health Reform bill, they made that provision illegal and whenever that comes into effect, there can be a minimum.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Only patronize stores that include the applicable sales tax in the bill.

    If they tell you to pay with cash or a check made out to cash, they may not be collecting tax. They may also be keeping some income off the books or not declaring it in their returns.

    One seforim store guy once told me with a straight face that religious books weren't subject to sales tax!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ZZB - Illegal was probably the wrong term to use; against what they're allowed to do as per their agreements is correct, thanks.

    Interesting, I wasn't aware of that provision.

    RAM - Easier solution: Only pay with debit, never use cash. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. When floods do occur, The North Face Sale the water, though turbid for the time, subsides rapidly and soon becomes clear again. Below Hertford, floods are liable to act injuriously, the water remaining longer on the adjoining marsh lands. Mr. Beardmore stated that heavy floodings had taken place in May 1824, in November 1852, and in October 1857, and that at such times large areas of land were, laid under water for several days. Skechers Shoes The marsh-lands on both sides of the lower Thames are not subject to such flooding, as the embankments are found to be sufficient to shut out the tides, and the primitive sewers, marsh-ditches, and tidal outlet-sluices regulate the delivery of flood waters so as to prevent injury to land. The marsh districts on both sides of the lower Lee are now subject to the double evil of flooding and droughts; during long continued dry weather the surface cracks until there are fissures several feet in depth. Flood water is passed much more rapidly down the valley of the Lee in consequence The North Face Sale of the improvements made of late years in the navigation by dredging the channels. Much, however, remains to be done which would improve the conditions of the marsh-land and the health of the people.The evidence as to the water-mills proves that in many instances the dams and ponds act injuriously by preventing land drainage and impeding floods. However useful Discount G Star Sale water-power may have been in former times, when these mills were first established, that use has now been greatly reduced in relative value, and, wherever there is sufficient trade to The North Face Sale make grinding corn a profitable occupation, steam-power has to be brought in as an auxiliary, the improved navigation and railway accommodation facilitating the delivery of coals so as to give an advantage to steam over the constantly alternating and uncertain flow of water. Water-power having diminished in commercial value, and land for agricultural purposes having greatly increased in value, injury to the adjoining lands may be shown to cause an annual money loss to the district Shape Ups Boots. To this money loss must be added injury to health by the retention of large areas of undrained land. Water-mills and mill-dams are proved to be injurious to local properties, but we have no evidence as to any serious pollutions being caused by these mills, other than so far as they cause a partial stagnation in the water and accumulations of mud by ponding.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I pay with a credit card most of the time. I don't like to carry a lot of cash. Most accept it for any amount. But some stores request a minimum purchase of $10 or so for a credit card payment. Also, have you noticed how many more gas stations now have 2 prices posted -- on for cash and a higher one for credit card?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think religious books actually *aren't* subject to sales tax, at least in some states. (Massachusetts being one.) But it isn't all "religious" books - I think maybe they needed to be completely in Hebrew or Aramaic?

    I've come up against that different price if you pay with a credit card thing before, but only in NY, and I agree, either leave and find another store or always pay with the card.

    ReplyDelete