Wtf? 10% tax for food?

[Turkish]

Just got back from lunch and maybe I never paid attention to it but the taxing is as follows:

5% State Tax + 5% Blacksburg Restaurant Tax = 10%

Wtf? What other fvckin town charges extra tax for food?

 

[FrustratedUser]

 

[z0mb13]

and which state is this?

 

[mchammer187]

locality tax

i see you are from VA too

i just started working here and man it pains me to pay 10% whenever i go eat

 

[SuperTool]

That's regressive taxation for you. I bet the state income tax is pretty low, huh?

 

[UncleWai]

A hunger strike would be very approriate.

 

[Hammer]

im glad i don't live there :Q

 

[Scarpozzi]

Just another good example of how national budget cuts have left the states to make up the difference. Maybe it's better that way...who knows.

 

[miri]

I am glad I am moving back to the west coast after I finish school.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
That's regressive taxation for you. I bet the state income tax is pretty low, huh?

It is only on carryout/restaurant food, not food from the grocery store. Further it is not state wide but rather a local option and not all that common other than in the independent cities of which there are only 39 of in the state.

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: SuperTool
That's regressive taxation for you. I bet the state income tax is pretty low, huh?

It is only on carryout/restaurant food, not food from the grocery store. Further it is not state wide but rather a local option and not all that common other than in the independent cities of which there are only 39 of in the state.

Hear that, next time go to the grocery store for lunch and buy an apple
You should be happy to know someone is getting a break on property taxes courtesy of your lunch money

 

[miri]

I never understood why here in Virginia you get taxed on grocery food. When I lived in Texas there was no tax on grocery foods, no state income tax, no tolls on roads, and no personal property tax on vehicles.

 

[toekramp]

i miss blacksburg

 

[Zenmervolt]

There has been a tax on prepared food for as long as I can remember. Food bough in a grocery store is not taxed, but food bought in a restaurant is. The assumption is that if you have enough money to spend on going to a restaurant, then taxing you is not a problem.

ZV

 

[miri]

You get taxed on your groceries here, does not matter if prepared or not.

 

[Babbles]

Like the above poster said, in just about every locality I know of prepared food is taxed. Non prepared (i.e. grocery store) food is not taxed unless it is junk food, e.g. soda, candy, etc.

Also most cities have their own tax rate as well. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas and I pay a sales tax of something like 7.75%. Something like 5% goes to the state and the other 2.75% is the city tax. If I go over to Dallas it is like 8%, Arlington is 7.25% (until we start to build the new Cowboys stadium and it will probably go back to 7.75%).

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: SuperTool
That's regressive taxation for you. I bet the state income tax is pretty low, huh?

It is only on carryout/restaurant food, not food from the grocery store. Further it is not state wide but rather a local option and not all that common other than in the independent cities of which there are only 39 of in the state.

Hear that, next time go to the grocery store for lunch and buy an apple
You should be happy to know someone is getting a break on property taxes courtesy of your lunch money

My local Prince William property taxes are not affected in the least by what a student buys in Blacksburg 250 miles from where I live. Local real estate taxes do not go into the Commonwealths General Fund and neither does the extra 5% from the restaurant tax. :roll: Perhaps you should worry about the tax system in California and leave the Virginia tax system to Virginians.

 

[miri]

Groceries here are taxed. If you buy milk or eggs or bread you pay sales tax on those items here.

 

[WobbleWobble]

The whole country of Canada has a 7% tax in resturants.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: miri
You get taxed on your groceries here, does not matter if prepared or not.

I strongly doubt that you are taxed on all groceries.

Things like chips and pop will be taxed, yes. But staples like milk, eggs, butter, and meats from the meat department should still be non-taxable items.

You've mentioned that you're in college. Most college kids aren't buying the foodstuffs that are tax-free. "Convenience foods" are what college kids buy, and convenience foods are taxed. Walk into the butcher area of your local grocery store and buy a cut of chicken or of pork and see if that's taxed. I would be very surprised if it is.

ZV

EDIT: Count me very surprised. VA does have a vestigial tax on food for home consumption. However, the tax on food for home consumption is well below the state's 4.5% sales tax that applies to other items.

 

[miri]

Do you live in Virginia? I know how to read my receipt. If I buy eggs for $.99, the total is $1.04.

 

[miri]

I am in college but I am also married. Me and my wife both work and go to school. I buy regular groceries. I do not go out to eat at all.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Just another good example of how national budget cuts have left the states to make up the difference. Maybe it's better that way...who knows.

Actually, it's probably more of another example of a government entity unable to control their spending so they look at other avenues for revenue.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: miri
You get taxed on your groceries here, does not matter if prepared or not.

I strongly doubt that you are taxed on all groceries.

Things like chips and pop will be taxed, yes. But staples like milk, eggs, butter, and meats from the meat department should still be non-taxable items.

You've mentioned that you're in college. Most college kids aren't buying the foodstuffs that are tax-free. "Convenience foods" are what college kids buy, and convenience foods are taxed. Walk into the butcher area of your local grocery store and buy a cut of chicken or of pork and see if that's taxed. I would be very surprised if it is.

ZV

everything in Kansas is taxed.

 

[Linflas]

There are 2 different taxes being confused here. The sales tax which recently was raised from 4.5% to 5% and is statewide and the Restaurant/Meals tax which is not statewide. The sales tax is charged on everything except drugs. The meals tax is only used by a few jurisdictions and applies to carryout and restaurant food. It is in addition to the sales tax in the places it is charged.