Taxes and Tipping

[blockhead15]

It's the company's responsibility to pay people a fair wage. Tipping is absolutely not required. I did not tell them to take a job that requires someone other than their boss to pay them fairly.

[thegreekdog]

You should always tip; just let the degree of service determine how much. Waiters and waitresses require tips in order to get their pay. That's why they have a lower minimum wage than normal.

Actually, I think you have it the wrong way around. Their minimum wage is so low that they require tips to earn a 'decent' income.

It would be nice if some pay scheme was introduced where a CEO couldn't earn more than ten times the wages of the lowest paid worker in a corporation. That would fix both the low minumum wage and the exorbadant pay rises CEO's like to routinely give themselves

If you don't want CEOs making more money, you should consider not voting for representatives, senators, and presidents who would require you, the taxpayer, to pay for those salaries and bonuses (see, for example, AIG bailout).

[PLAYER57832]

You should always tip; just let the degree of service determine how much. Waiters and waitresses require tips in order to get their pay. That's why they have a lower minimum wage than normal.

Actually, I think you have it the wrong way around. Their minimum wage is so low that they require tips to earn a 'decent' income.

It would be nice if some pay scheme was introduced where a CEO couldn't earn more than ten times the wages of the lowest paid worker in a corporation. That would fix both the low minumum wage and the exorbadant pay rises CEO's like to routinely give themselves

If you don't want CEOs making more money, you should consider not voting for representatives, senators, and presidents who would require you, the taxpayer, to pay for those salaries and bonuses (see, for example, AIG bailout).

Actually, Obama has instituted limits on the companies taking new bailouts, under his administration.

But, companies are private entities and can set their own limits. The ones who decide pay are the board members and, to a lesser extent stockholders. However, most average people who own stock own in in a form that doesn't allow them to vote directly (mutual funds, pensions, etc). The people who DO get to decide have a vested interest in keeping the system "as is". This is precisely why government oversight is so critical. Government is, ultimately responsible to each and every one of us.. at least when we excercise that right.

[PLAYER57832]

It's the company's responsibility to pay people a fair wage. Tipping is absolutely not required. I did not tell them to take a job that requires someone other than their boss to pay them fairly.

Nice try. So where are they supposed to get a job when that's all that is available?

Anyway, it does not work. Some restaurants did try that, for a while. However, they had to charge more for their meals up front. Stupid though it might seem, most people chose to go to the lower-cost restaurants and then leave tips, even when their meal really wound up costing more overall. Some waitresses, etc did not like working their, either, because if they did a good job, they could make much more money at the low paying places, with tips. So, too often those "no tip" places wound up with the poorer waitresses and such. As a result, though I am sure some places still have "no tipping" policies, most places have gone back to the original system.

Also, the sad fact is that many, many managers are quite happy to pay as little as they can and then take as much profit as they can. Tips are one of the few ways a customer can give an immediate and direct response,( "vote" if you will) on a person's service.

[Neoteny]

I usually don't tip a penny, even for bad service, though I will go to 5%.

I hate when there's a line for a tip on something that didn't really require much service. I always look at it all squinty-eyed because I don't like leaving lines blank.

Also, I always feel bad for my pizza guy, as I never think ahead to the tip, so I'm always left with a little bit of change out of my $20. I don't know if pizza guys are paid well these days, but there are probably several who hate delivering to me.

[dolomite13]

I base my tip on the pre tax amount. I also ident5ify if I bought drinks at the bar while waiting for a table I leave a tip on the bar before heading to our table. If the bar tab is not cashed out before going to the table and I have already tipped for drinks I exclude the drinks on the tip I give for the final bill.

So

$100 food...
$30 drinks... (already tipped $5 - $7)
10% Tax ($13)
==============
Tip (15% = $15 - food only)

For less than good service I will tip 10% and for awful service I will usually tip whatever change I have in my pocket. Although I had the worst service of my life at a place called "Boat Street Kitchen" in Seattle and I left a 75 cent tip. The waiter chased me out of the place afterwords and yelled at me asking "You sure you don't want any change?" He was a total jerk. I contacted the owner about him after that and she offered me a free meal but I will never go back there again.

[Snorri1234]

You should always tip; just let the degree of service determine how much. Waiters and waitresses require tips in order to get their pay. That's why they have a lower minimum wage than normal.

Actually, I think you have it the wrong way around. Their minimum wage is so low that they require tips to earn a 'decent' income.

Not in the us. They actually decided that because people give tips at restaurants and such that waiters get less minimum wage than others.

[PLAYER57832]

You should always tip; just let the degree of service determine how much. Waiters and waitresses require tips in order to get their pay. That's why they have a lower minimum wage than normal.

Actually, I think you have it the wrong way around. Their minimum wage is so low that they require tips to earn a 'decent' income.

Not in the us. They actually decided that because people give tips at restaurants and such that waiters get less minimum wage than others.

You are all correct.
Historically waitresses and waiters got tips. Tips were extra, added on to the wages for good service. When the minimum wage was instituted, it was decided that waitresses and waitors did not need the regular minimum wage because the difference would be made up in tips. AND, now the system is such that waiters and waitresses do require tips to earn a decent wage.

That said, its all the more reason why waitresses and waitors ought to give at least decent service, but of course that isn't always the case.

Though a lot of people complain, the real truth is that most people like the system the way it is for all sorts of reasons.

[thegreekdog]

One of the reasons being that it is rare that a server pays tax on his or her tips. There is a famous case where the IRS went to Atlantic City and audited a number of casino cocktail waitresses. One waitress reported about $25,000 of income on her return for the year in question, but did not report some $150,000 in tips.

[Snorri1234]

One of the reasons being that it is rare that a server pays tax on his or her tips. There is a famous case where the IRS went to Atlantic City and audited a number of casino cocktail waitresses. One waitress reported about $25,000 of income on her return for the year in question, but did not report some $150,000 in tips.

Well that's a case of a waitress loving the system, but I don't see why anyone else would think the system is a good idea.

[PLAYER57832]

One of the reasons being that it is rare that a server pays tax on his or her tips. There is a famous case where the IRS went to Atlantic City and audited a number of casino cocktail waitresses. One waitress reported about $25,000 of income on her return for the year in question, but did not report some $150,000 in tips.

Well that's a case of a waitress loving the system, but I don't see why anyone else would think the system is a good idea.

Mostly, its probably tradition.

However, a lot of people like the control they feel they get with tipping. They feel they get better service by tipping better .. and, probably they do. For me .. we go out to eat so seldom, it is not much of an issue. Still, when I do, I tip, because I consider it only right.

[Snorri1234]

One of the reasons being that it is rare that a server pays tax on his or her tips. There is a famous case where the IRS went to Atlantic City and audited a number of casino cocktail waitresses. One waitress reported about $25,000 of income on her return for the year in question, but did not report some $150,000 in tips.

Well that's a case of a waitress loving the system, but I don't see why anyone else would think the system is a good idea.

Mostly, its probably tradition.

However, a lot of people like the control they feel they get with tipping. They feel they get better service by tipping better .. and, probably they do. For me .. we go out to eat so seldom, it is not much of an issue. Still, when I do, I tip, because I consider it only right.

Well, it's not like tipping doesn't exist here. It's just that we don't feel obligated to at least tip 10% all the time. I nearly always tip a decent amount since I realise the work is pretty hard, only when I really think the service is shit do I not tip.

I understand people would get a feeling of control, but they would have that control when the waiters make a decent minimum wage too.

[PLAYER57832]

Well, it's not like tipping doesn't exist here. It's just that we don't feel obligated to at least tip 10% all the time. I nearly always tip a decent amount since I realise the work is pretty hard, only when I really think the service is shit do I not tip.

I understand people would get a feeling of control, but they would have that control when the waiters make a decent minimum wage too.

No argument from me on that one!