Massachusetts Taxes on Grocery Food (how much, buy, groceries)

[gordoncooper]

Why is Whole Foods charging tax on three bagels when bought from the display case?

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by gordoncooper

Why is Whole Foods charging tax on three bagels when bought from the display case?

Maybe it is considered "prepared" food. With the grocery stores kind of blurring the line between "groceries" and "prepared foods" its kind of hard to tell.

I might take it up with the manager, though, just for clarity. No sense for them to charge and forward taxes on to the government if they are not appropriate.

And I'd beg to differ on the bagel. It's not prepared, for one, who do you know that actually takes a chomp out of a raw bagel? Pretty much no one except maybe my 3 y/o. the rest of us slice it toast it and butter it at least. Second, it is in the bakery/grocery area of the store. Unless you bought it in a cafe area of the store, which I am thinking you didn't.

You bring up a very interesting point, and again I have been in discussions about how much money do you have to be over charged to get your money back, and I know this is very little, but still it adds up when you are talking about all the bagels that are sold. I for one don't want to pay a penny more in taxes than necessary. You make the money, they tax it, you spend the money they tax it, you save the money, they tax it, tax it once when you make it, tax it second when you buy gas, tax it again when you have the car. Sometimes I wonder how many times the same money can be taxed.

I have always wondered what the overall tax rate was at the time of the boston tea party and if with all the different taxes where we are in comparison to that rate.

Ok, I'll get off my tax rant now! lol! And they laughed at me for voting for Obama becuase that means more taxes for me, lol! And I'm already having a heart attack over it........:sho cked:

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by gordoncooper

Why is Whole Foods charging tax on three bagels when bought from the display case?

ah, display case, do you mean by the cafe or the bins where the fresh bagels, rolls, etc. are located?

[AandD]

Prepared food is taxable. If you bought a package of bagels off of the bagel aisle it would have been considered "grocery" and not have been taxed.