Tipping doesn’t exist here BTW, because it’s idiotic
Idk where "here" is, but I've seen plenty of foreign countries's restaurants adopting tipping, particularly at higher end establishments, as business owners realize they can just ask for extra and get it.
American culture is still seen as something to emulate in many parts of the world. Hopefully less so after the next four years.
We've had the same stupid tipping culture emerge here as well - seems like a sign that taxes aren't high enough at the top end.
It pits the well being of the customer against the well being of the server. It's a pretty evil system. Pay everyone a living wage. Everybody deserves to live.
To be fair, no products sold (that I'm aware of) include tax on the sticker price, and here in TX groceries (unprepared food) are not subject to state sales tax.
The reason, from my understanding, is that taxes on products can vary from region to region, so it's impractical to expect the store to have the price listed with the sales tax included, especially on advertisements. The sales tax in my state can vary by 1% or so between cities/counties, and advertisements are frequently at the state level, if not national level. My next door city has a 0.10% lower sales tax rate vs my city, and the resort area in the county has 1.5% higher sales tax than the rest of the county.
Food is taxed at a different rate, and the tax is split about 50/50 between state and local. Our state has been discussing ending the tax on food, but that would only end the state portion (1.75%), so the local tax (1.25% pretty much everywhere) would remain.
AFAIK, Europe includes it because it's imposed at the government level (I think EU?), not the local level.
I still think it's dumb, and it should at least be on the price stickers in the store so I can have a chance at estimating the final bill before I get to the register.