Does anybody know what the “special tax” means? Bought some wet dog food from Petsmart, I can understand the state, city, and county tax but WTH are these special taxes? Has anyone else seen this when they purchase dog food?
And no, this is not a joke. In California, food sold for consumption by humans is not taxed. However, everything else including pet food is taxed. So don't want to pay the taxes you voted in, give your pets human food.
It doesn't have to do with animals. It's a sales tax in a specific district. These are typical city council measures, or ballot measures. The issue is more that sales tax is inherently regressive, which is why we should be taxing the wealthy for their holdings/incomes.
It's not really gonna happen with the trumpster fire we have going now.
While true, the companies and the wealthy are now getting huge tax cuts while also not paying anything, while everyone else is expected to pay more Federal taxes next year.
In Australia, we got rid of all the taxes on purchases and made it a blanket 10%, then we had the shops factor that into the price of the items so it doesn't show on the receipt. Also some essential goods and services were exempted from the tax.
I was like 8 at the time though, so I have no idea of the details. What I do know is that there's no tax on the receipts, it's already in the price
That seems just like hiding what's happening. Seeing the effects of legislation, the actual tax and cost on everyday purchases is valuable information to be reminded of.
People pay taxes, and having income tax is only one type. Paying sales tax is what is so conveniently forgotten when considering the tax rate on low income families.
When I was working in the city the taxes were almost 3% less than the town I lived in going from 5.75 up to 8. And should ship things to work to save the money.
And the reason they get it isn't that they are worse than the other states. It's because they are very transparent. There are plenty of "statename"-men out there. Florida-man is just made popular by.. Florida.
You don't deserve the downvotes. It's a little sad that you have to put a "/s" on comments to indicate sarcasm for, I assume, the same reason plastic bags tell you not to put them over your head.
At first I was like damn that's weird, but then I actually looked at it and saw it was an 8.25% tax...... That's normal it's just split so you know where each % is going
It was broken down into its various categories. You probably have an 8.75% tax rate, that's what it all adds up to. 3$ in tax for 25$ isn't that bad or unusual
I've never in my life seen it split up like that. That is really strange. All I can imagine is that the store manager is anti-gov. But, that is my exact tax rate, too.
Probably some shit “penny” and “half-penny” sales tax addition your local government did. That’s how they turn 7% into 9% without outraging the proletariats.
Where are you located? I am in Ohio and we only have a single sales tax that varies within a couple percent from county to county. In my county, we are in the highest bracket at 8% (which is actually a combination of the 2.25% state tax and the 5.75% county tax.
However, when I go to Virginia to visit our son, there are two taxes on each bill. One is the city and the other is maybe state or county. He's right on the border of Yorktown and Newport News, so it changes depending on what side of the street you are shopping/eating on. It totals around 13% or so.
What’s weird is they got specific with it instead of being like most places where they just they just give you the total. The tax amount seems pretty normal honestly.
This is a perfect example of data being made to look misleading. They split the tax breakdown up to make it look like more taxes, then they even slip the tax total in at the end to make it look like another tax on top of the rest.
OP paid less than 10% sales tax, which is a very normal number on consumer purchases. But because the data was presented the way it was, it triggers a much more visceral kneejerk response. Whoever drafted this receipt format purposefully wants to make consumers angry at the taxes they pay to live in a functioning society.
The amount of people who have yelled at me about extra taxes just because our receipt breaks it down in more detail is ridiculous… I just hope you didn’t berate the cashier about this like some people do.
8.75 sales tax is pretty average for CA and I would have expected Sacramento to be a little higher. Closer to LA or SF. Them breaking it down just seems scary but you may not think as much if it wasn't broken down like this such as the grocery store
That's actually kind of cool to see the sales tax itemized out.
The 2 special sales taxes are most likely locally voted on and approved taxes that are supposed to collect for...something
See blue cities fund rural red counties even in blue states. So besides the state sales tax cities can tack on a local sales tax increment to make up for the money they pay the state, but then is used to subsidize rural red counties.
In WA King county only gets 50 cents of every dollar collected in state taxes.
So you pay higher taxes to subsidize lower rural taxes.
To be fair, I’d argue one who owns and has the financial ability to care for another being so willingly can be taxed more. Not ATON but a little more than usual. Particularly if they have multiple or exotic pets. Weather you agree with that assessment is up to you, and of course less wealthy people should have some access to pets, but on a general level, more pets = more wealth
It’s not all that different to grass lawns in that way. Grass was grown to flaunt having so much wealth you could spend money growing a crop that doesn’t provide you food. Pets are a lot of money for only emotional benefits (assuming it’s not a working animal)
Once again, you can disagree with that alot, and there’s plenty of holes to poke, but that’s just my take
Just as a friendly reminder... Putting the store number and crossing out the address doesn't help. This was purchased in Ontario, CA. Please conceal both if you are concerned
The register at your PetSmart is not set up correctly for your local taxes, so they’ve added the “special tax”
lines to make the full sales tax out up properly, rather than just fixing their damn register.
Looks like your area breaks up taxes based on where that specific percentage goes. The city I live in doesn't itemize, so any time a new resolution is passed that raises taxes, the total percentage just gets bumped up. If it makes you feel any better, with my one line of city taxes, I still would pay more than you do with it broken up at a current city tax rate sitting just below 10%.
Usually there is always a city, state, and county tax. Then a lot of times a shopping center will make the stores charge another 1%. You don't ever notice it because I've never seen it itemized like this.
I know where you are. Your state has a sales tax across the board; the special taxes there are added bc of where you are in the state. Special taxes locally can be 0.10%-1%.
California, like a few other states, has never met a tax that it didn't like. Gotta raise funds to pay for everything somehow and they know that pet food is a necessity, not a luxury.
The store is just breaking down each tax that is hitting your purchase. Honestly, that's pretty nice as it really helps you see which taxes are hitting you the hardest.
That's California for you I guess. I left California because I met a nice lady somewhere else, but I had no idea how much cheaper the other states were. It's almost a little insane how big of a difference it was. In the year and a half I've been out here, only once or twice have I paid more than $3.15 per gallon of gas. Also, I know I got married and have a dual income now (less than double what I used to make), but my tax return is four times the size I've ever seen it. I don't even pretend to know how all of it works but I'm pretty sure California taxes are ridiculous.
Yes. Instead of having one line item “tax” Petsmart now breaks each tax out into its own line item. I think it is brilliant because it gets people (like you) to pay attention to oft-forgotten tax burden.
Thats the normal local tax. Ive never seen it itemized on a reciept before. I think its a great idea. Instead of just seeing 7.25% people might start wuestioning. Wtf is this special 1% and this .5%.
Ask the cashier in a pleasant voice if they know. Simply because you're curious . It's not like it's a lot of money, so you don't need to be a Karen about it, but you could even ask the manager (who ought to know if the cashier doesn't).
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In Soviet Russia, dog tax YOU!
In Soviet Russia, cake has a YOU day!
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💙🧡
Portal references warm my heart
Ironically...
Happy Cake Day friend 🎂🍰
In Soviet Russia, phone charges YOU!
In Soviet Russia, phone charges YOU!
Dark humor is like food in soviet Russia. Not everyone gets it.
In Soviet America, DOGE tax YOU!
LOL
Dogs really have it figured out.
"Pay my taxes and pick up my poop." - dogs everywhere
And now DOGE runs the kuntry!
Let the bears pay the bear tax, I pay the Homer tax!
It's California, buy them people food.
And no, this is not a joke. In California, food sold for consumption by humans is not taxed. However, everything else including pet food is taxed. So don't want to pay the taxes you voted in, give your pets human food.
I'm not in CA but feed my dogs "people "food. Rice,chicken, beef,sweet potatoes,spinach. It's better for them.
That’s probably it. People don’t keep up to date on their pet taxes.
None of those are dogfood-specific. https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/finance/budget/sales-tax-rate
The "Special" taxes are Measure A and Measure U
Looks like they are taking taxes for the wrong things having nothing to do with animals.
It doesn't have to do with animals. It's a sales tax in a specific district. These are typical city council measures, or ballot measures. The issue is more that sales tax is inherently regressive, which is why we should be taxing the wealthy for their holdings/incomes.
It's not really gonna happen with the trumpster fire we have going now.
Wouldn’t even happen with any corporate puppet president we’ve had or ever will have for the next thousand years ***
While true, the companies and the wealthy are now getting huge tax cuts while also not paying anything, while everyone else is expected to pay more Federal taxes next year.
They’ve been getting them since the 90s
*More
Since Reagan, so 80s.
At this point I would take a corporate puppet over a KGB asset
That's a local vote. Nothing federal involved and holdings tax would not help
It’s not a tax on dog food.
Of course it’s CA lmao
All our taxes are just lumped into one line item. Yours at .875 seems pretty normal to low anymore.
In Australia, we got rid of all the taxes on purchases and made it a blanket 10%, then we had the shops factor that into the price of the items so it doesn't show on the receipt. Also some essential goods and services were exempted from the tax.
I was like 8 at the time though, so I have no idea of the details. What I do know is that there's no tax on the receipts, it's already in the price
So the whole country is forced to have the same tax regardless of the regions needs?
That's common in other countries, as far as I've seen
So like for example the EU collects all the tax dollars and decides what towns get what?
Yes, and then you take that sales tax and distribute it based on regional need.
That seems just like hiding what's happening. Seeing the effects of legislation, the actual tax and cost on everyday purchases is valuable information to be reminded of. People pay taxes, and having income tax is only one type. Paying sales tax is what is so conveniently forgotten when considering the tax rate on low income families.
Precisely. I've never seen a receipt bother to separate them all out like this. Seems silly. It's a normal amount of taxes combined.
I’m in California also and I see a tax rate of 9.25 I think. Maybe 9.5
I’m glad to live in WI with 5.5%
Weeds illegal
Taxes where I’m from are 9.75 and weed is illegal lol
WISCONSIN MENTIONED 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 WHAT IS A BAD STATE 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
When I was working in the city the taxes were almost 3% less than the town I lived in going from 5.75 up to 8. And should ship things to work to save the money.
Now they both suck and have it at about 8.5.
4.5% checking in
Note that you can look up the store number 1738 on the receipt to find the store. So idk why you censored the address lol
trying to protect his state - you can’t say bad things about california on reddit
the comments on this post really solidify this point
encouraging cake languid tub retire dime weather license toy provide
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Usually it's California talking bad about Florida and vice versa.
I blame it on the Disney parks.
And the reason they get it isn't that they are worse than the other states. It's because they are very transparent. There are plenty of "statename"-men out there. Florida-man is just made popular by.. Florida.
Yuck, my local sales tax rate is over 11% before special taxes now. I would love for it to go back to 8.5%
Yeah but this person pays 5 taxes and you only pay 1
You don't deserve the downvotes. It's a little sad that you have to put a "/s" on comments to indicate sarcasm for, I assume, the same reason plastic bags tell you not to put them over your head.
Yeah, people are so dumb for not picking up tone in TEXT. Bunch of morons.
Because your dog is a hobby. Your hobby.
So dog food isn’t tax exempt like people food, which people need to survive.
This isn't dog food specific this is area dependent and they are just breaking it down instead of just doing a total like most places do
Simple....Politicians need money.
At first I was like damn that's weird, but then I actually looked at it and saw it was an 8.25% tax...... That's normal it's just split so you know where each % is going
Why do people not understand basic taxes. thats less than 10 percent. stop whining.
Was this Philly or Pittsburgh in PA? Both charge an additional 1%. I'm sure there are more cities in the US that do the same or more.
Ontario, California
Yea, probably additional city taxes.
It depends on where you live as to what taxes are put atop your purchase.
It’s the George Atomic Dog Clinton tax , bow wow wow yippee yay
8.25% is normal tax. They just have it broken down/itemized instead of added up
It was broken down into its various categories. You probably have an 8.75% tax rate, that's what it all adds up to. 3$ in tax for 25$ isn't that bad or unusual
BECAUSE FUCK THE GOVERNMENT
looks like a california problem
I have never seen my taxes broken down like that.
Just says tax and would have been a similar amount.
Because you live in California.
Thank the dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs in public.
This comes up to about 10% which is normal. Its always been about that much, it just looks like they gave you a breakdown for some reason.
Im surprised people grocery shop everyday of their lives and still dont know this stuff. Its like driving your car everyday and being a bad driver.
Probably just delineating local option sales taxes.
Most other places just put TAX 8.75%
Go buy something that isn’t dog food or human food, and let us know what the tax rate is. Probably the same as the dog food.
8.75% tax? Must be nice
Because we don’t eat our dogs.
Where do you live? Only time I’ve ever seen a receipt with more than a single line of tax was in Canada and that made sense, province and federal.
That's gotta be a California thing because we don't have that here
Dogs don't vote.
I've never in my life seen it split up like that. That is really strange. All I can imagine is that the store manager is anti-gov. But, that is my exact tax rate, too.
Who cares about that. You're double special! Woo!
Where is this??
Because pets are a burden on you and the people around you but no one wants to admit that openly.
They just broke down the taxes, you’re still paying the same rate.
Probably some shit “penny” and “half-penny” sales tax addition your local government did. That’s how they turn 7% into 9% without outraging the proletariats.
Come to New Hampshire. With NO sales OR income tax!
(Just don't ask about our property tax!)
That’s just sale tax broken down, right? Still cheaper than Los Angeles, we’re at 9.5% I think.
That's nothing, here in my country it's 16% 😔
What state?
You want taxes? Come to Washington.
Because pets are family. And you buy groceries for your family. Groceries are taxed.
99% sure that you can't just label "Special"tax on something without specifying what it is.
The IRS would love to have a look at that.
"Special tax"? That sounds like a lotta bullshit, i would be irate.
8.75% tax isn't that bad. And chances are, these taxes are worded something like, "on all grocery goods" or something.
This is just a normal sales tax amount broken into multiple lines.
Welcome to The Peoples Democratic Republic of Commiefornia
Where are you located? I am in Ohio and we only have a single sales tax that varies within a couple percent from county to county. In my county, we are in the highest bracket at 8% (which is actually a combination of the 2.25% state tax and the 5.75% county tax.
However, when I go to Virginia to visit our son, there are two taxes on each bill. One is the city and the other is maybe state or county. He's right on the border of Yorktown and Newport News, so it changes depending on what side of the street you are shopping/eating on. It totals around 13% or so.
Every things corrupt
This PetSmart seems to be in San Mateo, CA.
The 6% is standard state sales tax, and the other to are county and city sales tax.
7.5% sales tax is standard on most items you buy. Many are exempt, basic items like (human) food and medicine.
I didn't realize that California broke your sales taxes like this on receipts. That's pretty cool.
So you can say “doggone it! Lookit where all my money went!”
Cause the IRS are scumbags
What’s weird is they got specific with it instead of being like most places where they just they just give you the total. The tax amount seems pretty normal honestly.
Too many taxes smells like CA in which case it depends on which part of CA and if you people voted for any tax
https://www.ontarioca.gov/about-ontario/measure-q
This is a perfect example of data being made to look misleading. They split the tax breakdown up to make it look like more taxes, then they even slip the tax total in at the end to make it look like another tax on top of the rest.
OP paid less than 10% sales tax, which is a very normal number on consumer purchases. But because the data was presented the way it was, it triggers a much more visceral kneejerk response. Whoever drafted this receipt format purposefully wants to make consumers angry at the taxes they pay to live in a functioning society.
I work retail in California and the total tax is about what we collect.
Seems like Petsmart is being penile about itemizing the individual tax rates, but maybe it's a local requirement.
Because you live in California.....
Ontario CA. Yuck tax
Wow...your five different taxes, put together, is lower than my singular state sales tax.
Government do take a bite don't she?
You're in California aren't you?
I think the law stares they have to break down what taxes or fees go where on certain things.
I remember buying food at an airport and it said an amount went toward employee heath care or something wild I've never seen before.
Where do you live that you have all these different taxes?
The amount of people who have yelled at me about extra taxes just because our receipt breaks it down in more detail is ridiculous… I just hope you didn’t berate the cashier about this like some people do.
As your local representatives
It’s because your local governments are treating you like an ATM.
Ah yes California.
8.75 sales tax is pretty average for CA and I would have expected Sacramento to be a little higher. Closer to LA or SF. Them breaking it down just seems scary but you may not think as much if it wasn't broken down like this such as the grocery store
Because dogs can’t pay their own taxes.
Living in California is crazy, we get taxed the most and none of our services have anything, they're all broke..
We pay the most in gasoline taxes and it's supposed to go to roads but ive been dodging the same pot holes for 7 years
Crazy
Are you asking why there is so much tax (the amount you pay) or why there are so many taxes (the number of taxes)? Your headline is confusing.
Seems Californiaish. Geez Louise
Tax there is meant to be 8.75% city tax, 7.75% is county and I don't know what state sales tax is.
snatch wise ad hoc thumb physical crawl cows bedroom nose ring
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Tax special is usually from the city or the facility itself
This may be just me, but those taxes really don't seem that bad
That's actually kind of cool to see the sales tax itemized out.
The 2 special sales taxes are most likely locally voted on and approved taxes that are supposed to collect for...something
California
It’s just doggy taxes 😂
I pay .5% for the penguin exhibit at the zoo. It’s just stuff you voted on.
See blue cities fund rural red counties even in blue states. So besides the state sales tax cities can tack on a local sales tax increment to make up for the money they pay the state, but then is used to subsidize rural red counties.
In WA King county only gets 50 cents of every dollar collected in state taxes.
So you pay higher taxes to subsidize lower rural taxes.
That's not so bad.
Tennessee has a 7% state sales tax and the lowest total sales tax in the state (when adding each county's tax to it at POS) is 9.75%.
We don't have a state income tax, and never will without a change to the state constitution, so they have to make it up somehow.
Many. It’s MANY
It's just split up to go to different accounts for the company accountants.
The real question is why are they breaking down all the individual bits of taxes? Most receipts just list 8.75% or whatever it is in that location.
Taxation is DE FACTO theft.
Spare me the rhetoric about cops and schools.
You know it and I know it.
I'll happily take my 7% total tax (3% state and 4% county, no city or local) over whatever this is.
You’re in California. It’s a full breakdown of your regular 8.75% combined sales tax.
Its the "fuck you" tax
“Special” probably means there’s a tax in your county or state specifically on dog food- maybe even the specific type of dog food.
If you posted the state/county people could look it up for you.
To be fair, I’d argue one who owns and has the financial ability to care for another being so willingly can be taxed more. Not ATON but a little more than usual. Particularly if they have multiple or exotic pets. Weather you agree with that assessment is up to you, and of course less wealthy people should have some access to pets, but on a general level, more pets = more wealth
It’s not all that different to grass lawns in that way. Grass was grown to flaunt having so much wealth you could spend money growing a crop that doesn’t provide you food. Pets are a lot of money for only emotional benefits (assuming it’s not a working animal)
Once again, you can disagree with that alot, and there’s plenty of holes to poke, but that’s just my take
Are you in a state with really low or no income tax? Government at all levels costs money and it has to come from somewhere.
It's just sales tax. Never seen where the split on the receipt what percentage is to what region before.
Just as a friendly reminder... Putting the store number and crossing out the address doesn't help. This was purchased in Ontario, CA. Please conceal both if you are concerned
Probably for dog parks and to pay people to go clean up dog 💩since so many owners think they’re better than that.
The register at your PetSmart is not set up correctly for your local taxes, so they’ve added the “special tax” lines to make the full sales tax out up properly, rather than just fixing their damn register.
https://zamp.com/resources/ontario-city-sales-tax/
Why isn't there a DOGe meme posted yet?
Double special tax
8.75% tax seems pretty normal. Each city varies but where I am it’s 8.25%. Nothing abnormal there.
Those “special taxes” are actually tips
Better question, why is dog food so expensive?
80 bucks for a 35 pound bag of hills brand! I'm glad our dog only eats a cup and a half a day.
The store breaks it out so that way they consumer understands exactly where their taxes are going. Less than 9% tax is not bad for California
The city of Ontario needs its money!
Looks like your area breaks up taxes based on where that specific percentage goes. The city I live in doesn't itemize, so any time a new resolution is passed that raises taxes, the total percentage just gets bumped up. If it makes you feel any better, with my one line of city taxes, I still would pay more than you do with it broken up at a current city tax rate sitting just below 10%.
Looks like normal tax (around 8%) amount but they break it down to show what each portion is.
Usually there is always a city, state, and county tax. Then a lot of times a shopping center will make the stores charge another 1%. You don't ever notice it because I've never seen it itemized like this.
I know where you are. Your state has a sales tax across the board; the special taxes there are added bc of where you are in the state. Special taxes locally can be 0.10%-1%.
...because you live in California.
California, like a few other states, has never met a tax that it didn't like. Gotta raise funds to pay for everything somehow and they know that pet food is a necessity, not a luxury.
Because … California.
So much? My immediate thought was "wow those taxes are very decent!"
California moment
The store is just breaking down each tax that is hitting your purchase. Honestly, that's pretty nice as it really helps you see which taxes are hitting you the hardest.
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That's California for you I guess. I left California because I met a nice lady somewhere else, but I had no idea how much cheaper the other states were. It's almost a little insane how big of a difference it was. In the year and a half I've been out here, only once or twice have I paid more than $3.15 per gallon of gas. Also, I know I got married and have a dual income now (less than double what I used to make), but my tax return is four times the size I've ever seen it. I don't even pretend to know how all of it works but I'm pretty sure California taxes are ridiculous.
Chicago?!
Using the store number, it says you bought it Ontario, California. California loves their taxes.
You're in California: the home of exorbitant taxation.
because California...
Yes. Instead of having one line item “tax” Petsmart now breaks each tax out into its own line item. I think it is brilliant because it gets people (like you) to pay attention to oft-forgotten tax burden.
Thats the normal local tax. Ive never seen it itemized on a reciept before. I think its a great idea. Instead of just seeing 7.25% people might start wuestioning. Wtf is this special 1% and this .5%.
What state is that
The price you pay to live in paradise - amirite
Americans: we want socialism….NO NOT LIKE THAT!!!
Because this is in California
Ask the cashier in a pleasant voice if they know. Simply because you're curious . It's not like it's a lot of money, so you don't need to be a Karen about it, but you could even ask the manager (who ought to know if the cashier doesn't).
Because you live in CA
In your city and county......the taxes are
City tax, State tax, County district tax, County local tax, County tax
Comes out to 8.75%, they just break it up by where it's going.
People voted for it.
Because dogs don't vote.
LOL. California.
Seems about right for california 8.25%
It makes little sense to itemize State, County, City, etc. except to make their accounting easier. Looks brutal from a customer perspective tho.
Dogs are a luxury
Man, we have 25% VAT, this would be low af here.
Is your dog by any chance a labrador? Cause it would make it of Canadian origin and then it is logical.