wha?

One of the things weirding me out about being stateside are those added costs we're so used to, especially as New Yorkers, that I had nearly forgotten about while I was in Brazil--namely, taxes and tips.

First of all, there's no added sales tax in Brazil on regular consumer goods (I'm sure it's added in beforehand from the exorbitant prices of things like electronics). I forget if there's a restaurant tax, but if there is, it's small. At lunch buffet places, similar cafe-like restaurants, and grocery stores, there's no tax. Also, at restaurants, the tip is automatically included, at 10%, and is still optional. Here, people keep reminding me about the tip, and that it's 20%!

It's not just restaurants and stores--taxis, too. Though taxis in Rio aren't exactly cheap, you also are not required to tip them. I still am unsure about the deal of tipping hairdressers and the like, mostly because I went to a salon the grand total of one time.

Anyhow, I'm overwhelmed by the taxes and tips.

Comments

[Trapped in NJ No Longer]

"Though taxis in Rio aren't exactly cheap, you also are not required to tip them"

Oh?

[Rachel]

Yup. You round up to the next real.

http://www.ihfrio2009.com/portugues/index.php?pg=informacoes_uteis

http://www.rioconventionbureau.com.br/rcvb/servicos/ser_frames.asp?c=5

[Trapped in NJ No Longer]

Live and learn, huh?

[Camila]

Compared to cabs here in LA, taxis in Rio are really cheap.
I also can't understand this tipping thing. It really irritates me. I thought tips at restaurants were supposed to be given when you receive a good service, but nowadays people expect it from you, even if they treat you like shit. In Brasil I always tipped hairdressers, that was something I learned from my mom. But I know not a lot of people do it. Everytime I go to the salon here in LA, which is once every weeks (yup! wait until you get some grays!!!), I tell the lady in the front desk to add 20% to the colorist, and she immediatelly asks: "do you also want to give something to the assistant?". It makes me mad. My thought is, she is the colorist's assistant, shouldn't the colorist tip her?
Sorry about the mega comment...

[Pedro]

I also got a little confused by the taxes not included in the prices when I arrived in Canada, but a after a while, I noticed an important difference: in the beginning of this year, the federal government dropped its taxes by 1%. That meant an instant drop of 1% in all prices, of course. By the same time (I think you were still in Rio then), the Brazilian congress decided to extinguish one of the many (many, many) taxes embedded in prices - the infamous CPMF. Did any retailer dropped its prices accordingly?