How is the corona virus affecting you?

TastyReuben said:
Well, the sales tax (on whatever items are taxed) would be akin to VAT - it's just that our prices are advertised pre-tax, so the tax gets added on at the end. It's why every American kid learns from any early age, if they want that $3.99 doo-hickey, they better have about $4.25 in their pocket. :)
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Sales Tax is the only State tax we have in Texas. No state income tax. The State levies a 6.25-percent Sales Tax, and local governments can add up to 2-percent, for a total of 8.25-percent. Groceries (not prepared foods, like restaurant food) are Sales Tax exempt, as are medicines. So, most of what I buy at Kroger is Tax exempt.

Local cities/counties also charge an annual property tax, which is pretty small. The big bruiser is property tax levied by the local school districts. On my modest home, school district property tax sets me back around $4,000 per year.

CD
 
In Florida, sales tax is 6% on everything but non-exempt things, like groceries and medications as above, and cities can add though I don't know up to how much. The county south of us adds an extra 0.5%. The tourist areas can also choose, and nearly all do, to add tax on things like hotel rooms. Bet our visitors wouldn't like that if they knew! We do have a "tax holiday" short period year so people can buy school clothes, school supplies without having to pay tax. We are also just ending a "Disaster Preparedness" tax holiday today.
 
medtran49 said:
The tourist areas can also choose, and nearly all do, to add tax on things like hotel rooms. Bet our visitors wouldn't like that if they knew!
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Obviously I can't speak for American visitors, but European visitors wouldn't be at all surprised....its pretty normal here. Lots of places in Europe levy a Tourist Tax of a couple of € or so per person per night on accommodation and its clearly itemised on the bill. I think its a pretty fair system: someone has to pay for the infrastructure that visitors use and for areas with a large number of visitors its not really fair to place the burden solely on the local inhabitants.
 
The places are open, but for take-out only. Who want to drive 25 miles to get a pizza at Emma's in Bridgewater, take it all the way home & find out that it's cold as ice?!! That would be so stupid & ridiculous!!!!:stop:
 
Shermie said:
The places are open, but for take-out only. Who want to drive 25 miles to get a pizza at Emma's in Bridgewater, take it all the way home & find out that it's cold as ice?!! That would be stupid & ridiculous!!!!:stop:
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When are you due to open for sit-down? I think we opened for that 21 May.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Obviously I can't speak for American visitors, but European visitors wouldn't be at all surprised....its pretty normal here. Lots of places in Europe levy a Tourist Tax of a couple of € or so per person per night on accommodation and its clearly itemised on the bill. I think its a pretty fair system: someone has to pay for the infrastructure that visitors use and for areas with a large number of visitors its not really fair to place the burden solely on the local inhabitants.
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Many resorts and some hotels in the US and in Mexico charge a daily resort fee. Not at all unusual.
 
TastyReuben said:
When are you due to open for sit-down? I think we opened for that 21 May.
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I believe you are correct. I drove up to Cuyahoga Falls with my sister one day last week and drove past the Cuyahoga River on Front St. where there are numerous eateries and breweries. It was a nice day and people were sitting at tables outside at a proper distance. I could see there were a few people indoors at the window seating as well.
 
Shermie said:
Are you tired of being forced to eat take-out because you don't want to cook? Are you tired of the restaurants being closed every day because of the COVID-19 virus? So am I! I'll be so glad when we are allowed to go back INSIDE the places to eat, sit down and be waited on!!:yuck:
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We are. Next week I am going to our favorite Italian!
 
Word is that our province governor has stipulated a ฿20,000.00 (US$650.00) fine for not wearing a mask outside your own home.

Given that 70% of the population of the province has never seen ฿20,000.00 he will be lucky.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Obviously I can't speak for American visitors, but European visitors wouldn't be at all surprised....its pretty normal here. Lots of places in Europe levy a Tourist Tax of a couple of € or so per person per night on accommodation and its clearly itemised on the bill. I think its a pretty fair system: someone has to pay for the infrastructure that visitors use and for areas with a large number of visitors its not really fair to place the burden solely on the local inhabitants.
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I travel all of the US for business, and every city piles on room taxes and other fees to fleece out of towners. It can easy add 20-bucks to a $100 hotel room. Same with rental cars. I've rented cars for just one day, and had the local taxes and fees be as much as the rental itself.

BTW, if you come to the US, and rent a car for four or more days, rent it for a week. It is the same price. That also gives you the option of staying an extra day or two without changing your rental -- and paying for those added days.

CD
 
I had to go to Walmart this morning for the first time in a long time. Employees did a great job of wearing masks, shoppers...100% noncompliance (except for me). I was surprised to see that Walmart is one of two stores I've encountered in town that are doing the one-way aisles and stickers all over the floors (ALDI is the other). No one was paying attention, though. Walmart also had their entrances and exits reconfigured to strict one-way.

Went to McD's to get my wife an egg McMuffin (didn't I just say I never go to McD's for breakfast?! :)), and I got their little crappy egg burritos for myself. I was so hungry (9:30AM, and I usually eat at 7:30AM), that I didn't even remember about getting it home and getting it on its own plate, I just dove right in right there in the parking lot. Didn't even think about it until I got home and MrsTasty pointed it out. 😲
 
Voters digest the information that the UK government has been "very successful" in its response to Covid-19.

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TastyReuben said:
Well, now that I'm an established customer, they show me the whole charge up front, with my last tip percentage amount included.

Seeing it that way, it's a little sobering as to the added charge - $116 in purchases, $143 delivered. Ouch!
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OUCH! Back when they did this, I took delivery at my back door, signed for it, and directly handed the delivery guy my tip. Because I could NOT access anything other than my back door, I was really glad they had me sign for things - and with buying beer, they had to see my driver's license, too. Delivery wasn't cheap, but I did want food they'd drop off where I could actually access it.
 
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