Go ahead! Choke it down! Another tax coming this week! (Charlotte: sales, insurance)

[anifani821]

We're getting ready to pay about 10 cents on the dollar taxes for those restaurants meals. Yep.

Excerpt, WCNC (link below)


The bill you pay when eating out next week may give you indigestion.

Starting Tuesday, the state is raising its non-grocery sales tax by a penny.

In Mecklenburg County, that rate will be 8.25% -- which includes the state’s new rate of 5.5%, a 2.25% county tax, and a half-cent transit tax.

Groceries like milk and bread are still taxed at the lower, 2% rate.

But in restaurants and bars, once you add a one-cent “Prepared Food and Beverage Tax” to your bill, the tax rises to 9.25% -- almost ten cents on every dollar.


New sales tax may be hard to swallow when eating out | Charlotte News, Weather, Sports | WCNC.com | Local News

[MysteryMT]

What's the current rate, is it 7.25% for "Non grocery Sales" tax and 8.25% for "Prepared Food and Beverage" tax? Nevermind answered my own question with

Starting Tuesday, the state is raising its non-grocery sales tax by a penny.

Just curious but in any case certainly can't help restaurants and businesses that are already struggling from the impact of less people going out to eat.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by MysteryMT

What's the current rate, is it 7.25% for "Non grocery Sales" tax and 8.25% for "Prepared Food and Beverage" tax? Nevermind answered my own question with


Just curious but in any case certainly can't help restaurants and businesses that are already struggling from the impact of less people going out to eat.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[southbound_295]

Kinda makes you wonder if they made a secret trip to Trenton to study Budget Balancing 101. . .

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Kinda makes you wonder if they made a secret trip to Trenton to study Budget Balancing 101. . .

It sure does. In fact, I was thinking about our many discussions re: taxes in NJ as opposed to here. And I thought, good grief . . . where is this all headed.

Okay, this new tax - so that is more we will shortly be paying out.

Then - remember that homeowner's insurance is going up at least 10% I believe the article I read indicated. If folks own a place closer to the coast, then it will be an even greater increase. So even tho that isn't a tax, it is another increase and hit to the bottom line.

And then what was the other one . . .oh yeah. That income tax surcharge (or whatever they are calling it).

And our gas taxes are already some of the highest in the nation.

If you think about it - increases in water rates are a type of "hidden" tax.

All that has hit us. And I frankly think there will be more.

[jdljr]

Not a big deal to me really. Yea, no one likes taxes to go up. But if you think about it, if you spend $50 eating out, the additional 1% tax would add up to fifty cents. On a $100 tab, the added 1% tax would be $1.

I don't think that's going to cause people to think twice about eating out. Certainly won't me.

I guess much of what Ani referred to doesn't affect me - I don't own a home, so no homeowner's insurance or property taxes...I don't earn enough to be in the bracket where there would be that tax surcharge...we're on a well, so don't pay for water...

And wasn't there something recently about auto insurance rates supposedly going down in NC due to some judgment or something??

[Robin2007]

Originally Posted by jdljr

Not a big deal to me really. Yea, no one likes taxes to go up. But if you think about it, if you spend $50 eating out, the additional 1% tax would add up to fifty cents. On a $100 tab, the added 1% tax would be $1.

I don't think that's going to cause people to think twice about eating out. Certainly won't me.

I guess much of what Ani referred to doesn't affect me - I don't own a home, so no homeowner's insurance or property taxes...I don't earn enough to be in the bracket where there would be that tax surcharge...we're on a well, so don't pay for water...

Well, it doesn't seem like much...but all of these extra fees and taxes are really adding up!

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by jdljr

Not a big deal to me really. Yea, no one likes taxes to go up. But if you think about it, if you spend $50 eating out, the additional 1% tax would add up to fifty cents. On a $100 tab, the added 1% tax would be $1.

I don't think that's going to cause people to think twice about eating out. Certainly won't me.

But that all depends on how you rationalize it as to how it hits folks. Your reasoning is right, of course, but for some of us - we are thinking - Dang, it is now costing me 30% of the menu price to eat out - nearly 10% tax plus 20% tip. On a $50 meal for two at a moderately priced restaurant, that is $15, so that $50 meal just turned into $65.

For some people, that 30% isn't gonna mean anything. To me, it just emphasizes that I could have bought enuff groceries to fix meals for two for several days had I stayed at home . . .

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by jdljr

Not a big deal to me really. Yea, no one likes taxes to go up. But if you think about it, if you spend $50 eating out, the additional 1% tax would add up to fifty cents. On a $100 tab, the added 1% tax would be $1.

I don't think that's going to cause people to think twice about eating out. Certainly won't me.

I guess much of what Ani referred to doesn't affect me - I don't own a home, so no homeowner's insurance or property taxes...I don't earn enough to be in the bracket where there would be that tax surcharge...we're on a well, so don't pay for water...

And wasn't there something recently about auto insurance rates supposedly going down in NC due to some judgment or something??

I will have to check that out re: the auto rates. What I had heard is that the state insurance commission has mandated higher liability coverage or something along those lines (can't remember what it was exactly) which would make rates go up. But maybe there was some other decision by a court that made the rates go down, lol.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by anifani821

It sure does. In fact, I was thinking about our many discussions re: taxes in NJ as opposed to here. And I thought, good grief . . . where is this all headed.

Okay, this new tax - so that is more we will shortly be paying out.

Then - remember that homeowner's insurance is going up at least 10% I believe the article I read indicated. If folks own a place closer to the coast, then it will be an even greater increase. So even tho that isn't a tax, it is another increase and hit to the bottom line.

And then what was the other one . . .oh yeah. That income tax surcharge (or whatever they are calling it).

And our gas taxes are already some of the highest in the nation.

If you think about it - increases in water rates are a type of "hidden" tax.

All that has hit us. And I frankly think there will be more.

Well. . .I guess they figure it's a captive audience on food, but most of the Charlotte metro area is practically on the state line. I know I'm about 2 miles west of exit 10 of I 85. It reminded me immediately of Jim McGreevey trying to balance the state budget by upping cigarette taxes, when most of South Jersey was within a 30 ride to Delaware, where cigarette prices were nearly the same as North Carolina.

I normally buy gas at Ingles, where the price is artificially low, & I'm $6 short of qualifying for a $.05 a gallon discount at Lowes Foods, where the price is also artificially low.