It’d be neat to see a campaign to popularize a term like “final price” or “all-in price”. It’d encourage the creation of products that always show the right price even as taxes change. And consumers would be empowered.
Of course it does. Seeing this excuse in 2024 is absurd. It has nothing to do with actual difficulty, businesses just don't want to have to do it.
Businesses should be required to say in general advertisements "product/service is $X + local applicable taxes". When you go to make your individual purchase they would then be required to show the actual total price you will be paying. Maybe include a breakdown if people want it.
Creates a burden for businesses to comply? Too fucking bad, that's the cost of being allowed to do do business.
Other countries handle this fine. It really isn't any more complicated than properly collecting the sale taxes already. Just decide the price of a thing and add the tax then show the final price. You could also, which is something I saw done in Japan, show the Tax Free price so it's easier to compare.
But I kind of don't buy that it would actually much harder than any other hard thing supermarkets do to put the full price on a jug of milk or etc.
it's 2024 man, there are computers that can calculate this. Most retails update tags weekly anyway; literally just a stockboy swapping tags out. Tax laws don't change that much.
Walmart and other stores have been experimenting with electronic tags that change price based on demand and time of day.
Like, the Australians do it and it works just fine. Price says $5.50 AUD and when you rock up to the counter the price is 5.50.
Not only that, but they obviously already have those laws implemented. How else are they going to charge you?