Math weenies please help me explain algebra to a salesman

[evident]

There's a store near me that sells stuff tax-free. I am currently negotiating w/ a store on a watch. Tax is 8% off. Price of the item is 74800 (yen, roughly 700 bucks).

so what I do is i multiply 74800 *.08 = 5984, then subtract 74800-5984 = 68816. I did this in front of him at the store on my phone.

He then did the following operation on his calculator: 74800 / 1.08 = 69259.

I was like wtf... but anyways he was going to see if he could get me more of a discount if i paid cash, so he we exchanged emails.

I went back to him via e-mail again and basically wrote what i just wrote here, but then he kicked back with sorry but 74800 / 1.08 = 69259.

First, how to I tell him he's a dumbass nicely, because i still want this watch and second... can a math person explain to me why his operation doesn't work either?

 

[Carson Dyle]

Maybe you have it wrong.

They're saying "We'll pay the 8% sales tax". That's not the same as saying "8% off". When someone says "8% off", your method makes sense. You pay 92% of the original price. But when they say "we'll pay the 8% sales tax" that's different. Your final price after sales tax should end up being the original price, right?

69259 x 108% = 74800, the original price

 

[evident]

Maybe you have it wrong.

They're saying "We'll pay the 8% sales tax". That's not the same as saying "8% off". When someone says "8% off", your method makes sense. You pay 92% of the original price. But when they say "we'll pay the 8% sales tax" that's different. Your final price after sales tax should end up being the original price, right?

69259 x 108% = 74800, the original price

Yes. Thank you! I knew I was missing something. It is me that is the dumb ass, trying to get a bigger discount LOL

 

[olds]

Don't foreigners add the tax to the posted price?