Of course there is sales tax in Britain, but it's already included in the price. If something says it costs 10 pounds, then that's what you pay. There are no surprises at the cash register, you don't have to check your pockets/purse for an odd few pence. You see something, you choose to buy it and you pay the price on the tag. Simple right? In America each State applies sales tax to items when you pay for them and the checkout. For example in Kentucky the sales Tax is six percent, so if you buy something that says it costs $1 you will be charged $1.06. If an item is priced at $100 you will be asked for $106. This is something a lot of Brits in America take time adjusting to, along with the fact that the amount of sales tax varies from state to state. States like California (9.08%) and Arizona (9.01%) have pretty high sales tax, which becomes even more noticeable when you are buying expensive items. Sales tax makes everything you buy just a little more expensive. Brits in America do quickly realise though that the price it says is not the price you are going to pay, and it only takes a few awkward moments at the cash register when you realise that while you'd scraped together enough change for the show price, that's not going to cut it, sadly. It's a transformative experience, and you soon move on.
