Calculating sales tax isn't that hard -- just add in 6 cents (or 5 or 7 or 8 or whatever) for every dollar. Or you could let the cashier do it and then get your money out.
But it's not that easy. Sales taxes make a distinction about what you're purchasing as well as the amount of tax on that purchase. For example, in Iowa the sales tax is 5%, unless your county as the local option sales tax (+1%), and/or your school district has their infrastructure sales tax (+1%). All goods sold (but not services (yet)!) are charged that tax - except home heating fuel (which is at 1% state sales tax right now, +1% + 1% if applicable). Bank service charges are taxed at the local rate - if the charges are against a checking account (savings account service charges are exempt from sales tax - even if the charge is for the same thing. For example, if I were to originate a wire transfer, the service fee would be $15. If I paid that service charge from my checking account, it would be taxable. If I paid that in cash or from my savings account, it would not be taxable.) And that's just one state. The rest of the states (and presumably each county within each state!) was similar tangles of laws.
Also, adding on sales taxes is a great lesson about the evils of taxes (yes, taxes are a necessary evil) when they go to buy something marked 99 cents with their dollar and find they don't really have enough money. Harsh maybe, but not a lesson they're likely to forget.
They're also a "gotcha" regulation. If you're a merchant and not an expert on sales taxes, chances are that you're violating the sales tax laws somehow. If you're a consumer, there's a fair chance that you're also violating sales and use tax laws (ever bought anything online - and if so, did you send in your "use tax" on it?).
For example in the SE USA Publix sells beef ribs. If you buy them as the come to the store they are $1.99/lb. If have the butcher cut them as 'short ribs' they are still $1.99/lb. However, if you ask the butcher to cut them across the bone, in thin slices, for making kalbi (AKA flanken style but a bit thinner) they want $3.19/lb!
Does it surprise you that the harder cut of meat is more expensive?
This fall I purchased a quarter of a cow from a local farmer for the first time, and I could believe all of the options that you have when you talk to the locker. They give you options on how you want the meat packaged, what cuts you'd like, what you want done with the "nasty bits" (I didn't want those!). After it's all done, I had a freezer full of really, really good meat.
If you look at the broader context of technology, this explains a great deal. Back in the mid-90s, if you could figure out Windows 95 and some basic HTML scripting, you could be in IT..... Today, compters are WAY harder.
I'm not going to touch most of your statement, but to say that computers are way harder now than 10 years ago is not true. Windows, MacOS, and even linux have spent that time moving more of the archane stuff away from the users (and even sysadmin's) fingertips and wrapping them in wizards and other "easy" ways of making stuff work.
It wasn't windows 95, but I remember tweaking config.sys and autoexec.bat files in DOS to try to get more conventional memory free - now that is something that you don't even think about!
As a matter of fact, it can apply to more than you would think. About 3 years ago, it became legal to surcharge ATM transactions in Iowa. At that time, the Iowa Department of Revenue decided that use tax is due from any citizen of Iowa, banking with an Iowa bank, that gets tagged with a surcharge when the transaction comes out of a checking account. And they thought it would be a good idea for the bank's that hold the account (not the owners of the ATMs) to collect that use tax.
That didn't stand, but they're always looking for something!
I do prepare some taxes and for one like that (assuming nothing fancy) it would run about $70.
Her real mistake was the rapid-refund loan, but the $350 was likely a small portion of her refund - 2 kids and about $25K = good EIC and even better refunds.
Funny, insightful, you just don't know which way I'm going with it:)
The root of comedy is the truth and things are funnier if they seem to have some root in the truth. A dual edged joke like I made is just plain gold:)
Having said that, I'm sure that the root language of Hindi is just as useful for conveying techinical instructions to today's Indians and some form of Norske would be for me.
I was talking with several FCC staffers a couple weeks ago and they all seemed to think that the lack of delineation between cable and broadcast militated in favor of broadcast deregulation rather than increased regulation for cable and satellite
So you believed that those bureaucrats in a federal agency would allow themselves to lose some power on their turf?
Bill Gates always promotes smaller schools (basically by splitting up giant high schools into small "academy"-type schools
In Iowa, we are trying to close small schools and form those giant high schools.
Nothing like modeling our education here in the state after those that don't work as opposed to keeping what has worked well for generations (small schools).
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But it's not that easy. Sales taxes make a distinction about what you're purchasing as well as the amount of tax on that purchase. For example, in Iowa the sales tax is 5%, unless your county as the local option sales tax (+1%), and/or your school district has their infrastructure sales tax (+1%). All goods sold (but not services (yet)!) are charged that tax - except home heating fuel (which is at 1% state sales tax right now, +1% + 1% if applicable). Bank service charges are taxed at the local rate - if the charges are against a checking account (savings account service charges are exempt from sales tax - even if the charge is for the same thing. For example, if I were to originate a wire transfer, the service fee would be $15. If I paid that service charge from my checking account, it would be taxable. If I paid that in cash or from my savings account, it would not be taxable.) And that's just one state. The rest of the states (and presumably each county within each state!) was similar tangles of laws.
Also, adding on sales taxes is a great lesson about the evils of taxes (yes, taxes are a necessary evil) when they go to buy something marked 99 cents with their dollar and find they don't really have enough money. Harsh maybe, but not a lesson they're likely to forget.
They're also a "gotcha" regulation. If you're a merchant and not an expert on sales taxes, chances are that you're violating the sales tax laws somehow. If you're a consumer, there's a fair chance that you're also violating sales and use tax laws (ever bought anything online - and if so, did you send in your "use tax" on it?).
Does it surprise you that the harder cut of meat is more expensive?
This fall I purchased a quarter of a cow from a local farmer for the first time, and I could believe all of the options that you have when you talk to the locker. They give you options on how you want the meat packaged, what cuts you'd like, what you want done with the "nasty bits" (I didn't want those!). After it's all done, I had a freezer full of really, really good meat.
It could be a DCMA violation of reverse engineering?
I'm not going to touch most of your statement, but to say that computers are way harder now than 10 years ago is not true. Windows, MacOS, and even linux have spent that time moving more of the archane stuff away from the users (and even sysadmin's) fingertips and wrapping them in wizards and other "easy" ways of making stuff work.
It wasn't windows 95, but I remember tweaking config.sys and autoexec.bat files in DOS to try to get more conventional memory free - now that is something that you don't even think about!
That sounds like an invitation for the legislators to add the word "former-" to their titles.
As a matter of fact, it can apply to more than you would think. About 3 years ago, it became legal to surcharge ATM transactions in Iowa. At that time, the Iowa Department of Revenue decided that use tax is due from any citizen of Iowa, banking with an Iowa bank, that gets tagged with a surcharge when the transaction comes out of a checking account. And they thought it would be a good idea for the bank's that hold the account (not the owners of the ATMs) to collect that use tax.
That didn't stand, but they're always looking for something!
Her real mistake was the rapid-refund loan, but the $350 was likely a small portion of her refund - 2 kids and about $25K = good EIC and even better refunds.
It probably depends upon the city.
That's cool!
The root of comedy is the truth and things are funnier if they seem to have some root in the truth. A dual edged joke like I made is just plain gold :)
Having said that, I'm sure that the root language of Hindi is just as useful for conveying techinical instructions to today's Indians and some form of Norske would be for me.
Hmm. I thought sanskrit was used for Technical Documentation while Interpretive Dance was for the help desk jockeys.
Why do you think there's braille on the keyboard?
ADA - modern soundcard (and other hardware!) support?
That sounds like a "lose, lose" proposition - not one, but two dates to forget!
I don't think that dust-bowl era farmers wore speedos (but they were out in the sun quite a bit)
Would that have anything at all to do with the amount of time in the sun and skin we showed prior to the 1930's?
So you believed that those bureaucrats in a federal agency would allow themselves to lose some power on their turf?
That ought to satisfy your boss - now get back to work!
There's a bit of that, but for the most part the recent leaks have not been banks and are not regulated as such.
In Iowa, we are trying to close small schools and form those giant high schools.
Nothing like modeling our education here in the state after those that don't work as opposed to keeping what has worked well for generations (small schools).
I'm sure that the people of Woden would think that it was cool that you named a planet after them (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&a ddress=&city=Woden&state=IA)
They are probably the entities most hurt (aside from the individual) when ID theft is perpetrated. They are the ones who will eat the loss.
Of course, Bank of America is one of the handful of "too big to fail" banks in the states, so nothing will likely be done to them.
Banking is amongst the most highly regulated of industries we have.
If the manure can be applied as (cheap) fertilizer - it's a win/win situation. If not, then TD is a great answer.