Interesting airticle

[flyrr100]

I understand PAYE. But you probably still have deductions that you are entitled to.
I'm paying taxes each month, but all the small deductions, plus the large ones like my mortgage and the rental property aren't taken into account in my monthly taxes. Even moving house is tax deductable. All and any medical expenses above $5000 is deductable. Any uninsured losses on property are deductable. Here it pays to get a good tax professional! And even his fee is deductable!
I'm also a Florida licenced car dealer. I don't wear a sheapskin jacket! Don't even have a car lot. But I can buy fron auctions and sell tax free. And all expenses are tax deductable!
It's the American dream!

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:If one is PAYE, then the tax is deducted at source.[/quote]

In case our American members have not heard the term. PAYE = Pay As You Earn
That means all those employed(as opposed to self-employed) have tax deducted at source from their wage/salary; it is mandatory.

Until a few years ago we used to get tax relief on mortgage interest, life insurance premiums, private medical insurance, for children etc. However that has all been phased out and there is tax relief for very little these days. Even worse - if your employer supplies you with a car to do your job, it is counted as a benefit and you are taxed on that.

[pbensur]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
I'm sorry I posted that! I guess it's been argued over and over before.
This is my 10c worth; I'm a pilot for a US Regional Airline. Our flight attendants work for around $20k a year. So many of them have part time jobs in resturants, bars, or the theme parks. Most earn below the minimum wage. Some even work for 'just tips'. Almost all complain about Europeans being bad tippers. I try to explain that it's not that they are bad tippers, it's their culture.
You also have to understand that it's a totally different culture here in the USA. It is, after all, a foreign country. And you are all foreigners visiting here. I've been here since the mid 80s and I'm still trying to 'get it'!

[/quote]

I agree that it's all about culture and what you're used to. I find that comment about European tourists stiffing the wait staff to be very unfair!! I'm certain that in most cases, if a foreign tourist undertips a decent server, it's unintentional (or they are lacking in Math skills which is probably more common in general than bad manners![msnwink])

I agree mandating a 15% tip won't be good for anybody - not the customers, not the restaurant owners and not even the wait staff as they more than likely will not be further ahead as many people currently tip more than 15% for good service.

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Ray&Sarah
We don't mind the tipping culture over in the US now, after a few visits you get used to it, most meals out are relatively good value in comparison with the UK anyway.[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

MMM but what happens if you go to somewhere like Victoria and Alberts and the bill is in excess of $600 for 4 people, do we have to leave $120 for a tip..[msneek]
[/quote]


Unless it's included in your bill..... yes! nYou'll be chased out if you don't!
[/quote]


Well we didn't and we wern't!

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
Well we didn't and we wern't!
[/quote]

Good for you CDV! I must confess that I do not fancy restaurants that have an attitude problem and end up with too stiff an upper lip. I don't mind splashing out occasionally, but for me the atmosphere has to be lively rather than too formal. I'd probably stick out a leg in the maitre de's way!

[philgrove]

going back to the original point of tipping, i do have a problem. i know im going to sound like a tight arse but i only tip because its expected and not necesarily because its deserved. i dont get tipped if i repair a car well, or if i service a car quick because the customer is in a rush. i get my wage and thats it, if its not enough then i have to go somewhere else.

look at it this way, somewhere small with a large turnover of customers like sizzlers on the 192 west, a waiter may look after 8 tables for instance, most customers stay an hour or less, so if the average bill is $25, the waiter would expect about $3, so those 8 families have just bumped up his/hers wages by $24 an hour.

i wish i earned that much......................[msncry][msncry]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by philgrove

look at it this way, somewhere small with a large turnover of customers like sizzlers on the 192 west, a waiter may look after 8 tables for instance, most customers stay an hour or less, so if the average bill is $25, the waiter would expect about $3, so those 8 families have just bumped up his/hers wages by $24 an hour.
[/quote]

This is the paradox of restaurant waiter tipping all over the world. If a waiter had only 2 tables to look after, he would have time to give an excellent service and expect a good tip; but even if he got it, it would be relatively small at the end of the day. On the other hand, a waiter serving 8 tables cannot possibly do a very good job even if he/she could, but might still collect a sizeable gratuity from habitual tippers. But it may even out because the second waiter has at least worked harder than the first. But it proves straightaway why a mandatory tipping law - even if it came to pass - would be so manifestly unfair.

[florida4sun]

Yep, I always tipped 20% at V and A.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Ray&Sarah
We don't mind the tipping culture over in the US now, after a few visits you get used to it, most meals out are relatively good value in comparison with the UK anyway.[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

MMM but what happens if you go to somewhere like Victoria and Alberts and the bill is in excess of $600 for 4 people, do we have to leave $120 for a tip..[msneek]
[/quote]

[florida4sun]

Its not quite as simple as that, the server does not get it all, it split out between varios staff. Plus there is a set tax rate for servers. If they have a quiet week they can actualy go home owing money.


<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by philgrove
going back to the original point of tipping, i do have a problem. i know im going to sound like a tight arse but i only tip because its expected and not necesarily because its deserved. i dont get tipped if i repair a car well, or if i service a car quick because the customer is in a rush. i get my wage and thats it, if its not enough then i have to go somewhere else.

look at it this way, somewhere small with a large turnover of customers like sizzlers on the 192 west, a waiter may look after 8 tables for instance, most customers stay an hour or less, so if the average bill is $25, the waiter would expect about $3, so those 8 families have just bumped up his/hers wages by $24 an hour.

i wish i earned that much......................[msncry][msncry]
[/quote]

[Steve and Dawn]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
I read this in this morning's Sentinel. I'm not tryting to spark a fire. But it could make for an interesting debate! It's not online, so I'll type it as it's printed. For you in Florida, it's page 2 of the Local & State section. The story is about different people who may run for governor when Jeb Bush's term is up. Enjoy:

'There is, after all, an overlooked local and upstart candidate who has filed papers to run as well. That would be Jamie Gannon, a bartender at Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon, whose first idea was to institute a state-mandated 15 percent tip at restaurants and bars. "That would stop the European tourists from stiffing us," he said a few months back.'

Hmmmmm....
[/quote]

Yes I think he could have worded that a lot better!! I do believe however that we as a nation do not tip that well, there was also a saying around Orlando, "What's the difference between a canoe and a Brit? Answer: A canoe will tip." Many times I have seen Brits in eating places leave nothing or very little. You can see the "Cheesed off" expresion on the face of the server. In most cases it is probably because the we don't understand the tipping culture in the US, or we are just cheapskates! I dare say the US have some of the latter too. I personally like the idea of tipping, I think it does improve the service. It's a shame we don't adopt a similar thing in this country. All too many times we are served by surly faced people who cannot be bothered to engage in conversation with you. They get paid whether you enjoyed you meal or not! Without getting political, when you are paid a minimum wage which is probably double what the same waitress gets in the US why try to impress the customer. On the subject of Barmen, I spoke to one in a hotel we stayed in once, he had 2 bar jobs and earned $58000 in the previous year!

Steve & Dawn