TAXES
Taxes are vital in our society in order to maintain all the social structures and essential services such as education. One of the aspects that impressed me the most when I visited the States for the first time in my life was the dramatic difference in the way of taxing.
First of all, here in Spain whenever you go shopping the government taxes are included in the price. It doesn’t matter if it’s food, fashion or entertainment. On the contrary, in the USA the prices you find on the shelves are tax-free, so you need to keep in mind that the final receipt will be greater after adding the corresponding taxes.
Second of all, when you have dinner in a restaurant you must know that the tips for the waiters are paid separately. Because of that, you are supposed to pay an extra amount, corresponding to the 10-15% of the final cost of your meal or menu. What is more, it will be directly added to your receipt if you’re having a party of six or more (depends on the restaurant’s policies).
Finally, I found it perfect that each State has its own laws when it comes to taxes. For instance, in Pennsylvania clothes are tax-free, so you can save a lot of money if you come from another State. I remember somebody told me that Canadians who lived next to the frontier would visit USA just for shopping.
To summarize, from my experience I can tell that you can never take anything for granted due to the fact that each country has its own organizational system. My piece of advice would be that you always look for information about any nation you visit, the more prepared you are the more you’ll enjoy your stay.