Idea to promote tax awareness, in service industry purchases
I'm reading Adam Kokesh's ( @adamkokesh ) book "Freedom" and just started chapter 5, on taxes. This paragraph gave me the following idea. (Okay, well screw you Kindle Reader; if I can't copy from the text, then I'll take a screen capture!)
Specifically, it was the third sentence. Restaurants do business openly, and generally a tip is a larger percentage than the tax -- here it's 6.5% for the tax, and I generally tip 20%; more, if I frequent the place and have good rapport with the waiter.
So, here's the idea: from now on when I pay for a meal, on the receipt I will put a line through the tax portion, update the total to exclude the tax, then add a 26.5% tip, and write something like "I don't pay tax. You can choose to if you like, out of the tip."
I don't think there would be immediate legal consequences -- because I've given them more money than they asked for.
There could be future consequences, because my bank now knows how much I hold their industry in contempt.
Even so, I think I'll do this -- just as I spent a couple hundred dollars in the past few months on which I had variously written "WHO WAS SETH RICH?", "GOOGLE SETH RICH", and "HIS NAME WAS SETH RICH". The first of those I spent, the clerk at the convenience store got her phone out, took a picture, and posted it to social media! I thought that was pretty neat, although I didn't ask if she recognized the name.
What do you think? Does this sound like a good idea? Would you do it? Thanks!
Enjoy!
arg taxes haha! :)
I have log wished to educate wait-staff. If they understood that a silver dime is really about a buck and a silver quarter really about 2.50, you could leave them tips in silver that they can report. "Cheap bastard left me a buck in quarters..." :)
Never looked at it that way...as in the tip is more than the tax. I do like your idea of crossing off the tax. I like to pay in cash as often as I can....if I get good service I tip well, if not well I will leave something but it won't be much. Also I believe that the income tax is against the law but still being collected.
Yes, agreed -- I have read Pete Hendrickson's book "Cracking the Code" and website http://losthorizons.com, and intend to put form 4852 to use in getting back all my "donations" to the IRS.
if it get simplified enough who would not love to do :)
My grandfather used to always say “stay out of the spotlight”
That is excellent advise. For my next trick (hold my beer that I no longer drink :) ), I'll use form 4852 to get my donations back from the IRS...
Hahahahahaha. In my country we don't do tip's when we go to a restaurant.
Interesting! I really liked the dialog at the beginning of the movie, "Reservoir Dogs", about tipping or the lack thereof:
I think it is an interesting symbolic gesture that will raise awareness in your area but will have little effect on tax reforms. To accomplish that you must lobby and bribe our politicians with millions and millions of dollars!
:) I think awareness is exactly what's needed. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant" and all that. I want nothing to do with politicians -- I really enjoyed this book, as it gives us a prescription for eliminating politicians.
Sure, there'll always be "used car salesmen" types, but they won't have the use of force on their side.
Yes makes a lot of sense spreading the word...
I try and tip in cash whenever possible so the individual can decide if they want to report that income or not. It's an interesting idea to scratch through the tax and just add it to the tip... I'm not sure if it would have any effect in practice though.
Great idea, use the card only for the meal, and tip in cash. I could even make more "SETH RICH" bills to tip them with! :)
Waiters and Waitresses are hard working folks. They don't have time to think and consider deep implications of tax policy. We all hate taxes, but it is part of the life. From a strategic perspective I do not think these actions contribute towards the betterment of society. Legally these organizations have to collect the taxes. Most people are good folk, fighting to do what is right. Most other countries around the world include taxes in the price of the goods before you see the final price and you never know the tax amount. In America, we decided to tax after we get the price. Yes, it is sort of silly, selling something for 1.99 then adding 13 cents tax on it. Today, in America, it is veterans days, and for better or for worse keeping a country free is not easy. Might I recommend watching a couple of You Tube Video on World War II, thanking a veteran and being grateful you are able to pay taxes to an American and not a Japanese, or a German.
All wars are bankers' wars, and war is a racket; so, no, I don't think thanking any veterans who served after 1913 (and possibly long before then) will contribute towards the betterment of society. [1]
Education always contributes to the betterment of society (unless it has lies in it, like government-sponsored education).
That said, I chose not to share this lesson at last night's meal.
Taxation is voluntary; see Pete Hendrickson's book "Cracking the Code" and website, http://losthorizons.com. I'm never grateful to have my property stolen at gunpoint, and am thankful that I've learned how to "opt out" (form 4852).
P.S., I waited tables, and I find your second sentence very insulting.
[1] Although, teaching them how to perform EFT to help overcome PTSD symptoms is a caring, compassionate thing to do, which I've donated to Gary Craig (creator of EFT) as he does this, as is shown on several of the DVDs he has on offer.
Great post and narrative. Thank you for sharing!