Sales tax is one of those annoying adjustments you have to make when shopping in the US. The best trick is to include it in the currency rate rule of thumb when comparing prices to back home. So, with the exchange rate at 1.40 or to use the inverse which is .715 and then add 9% sales tax, that gives you an effective price tag conversion rate of .78 ie everything marked $100 is really €78. Well it works for me!
You know its a recession when the state give a 2 day sales tax holiday, not that you would ever see such a VAT holiday in Ireland! This week-end there is a state sales tax holiday in Louisiana. That means that there is a 5% reduction on everything. Local taxes of about 4% still apply. Of course this is of no interest to us because as visitors to Louisiana we are entitled to get all the sales tax back. But there are a lot of hoops and procedures.
We don't need much incentive to go shopping in our family - so we were back at Lakeside Mall today. It was a lot busier than earlier in the week - I suppose no sales tax is an incentive. The retailers were doing their bit with some great sales - another sign that there is a recession.
Lisa discovered how to get the sales tax back today - its not so easy unless you are organised. First you must carry you passport or at least know your passport number. Then you must ask the retailer for a Louisiana sales tax voucher. Then you must keep your receipt and go somewhere - we havn't figured that put yet. Lisa?
Senan and I were restrained. - we bought coffee, hot chocolate and beignets. Beignets are doughnuts without a hole and loads of icing sugar piled on top. Delicious.
Mags and Lisa did their bit for the US economy and shopped until they could carry no more. Its amazing what you can get for $200 when there is a sale on. It was getting dark by the time we got home and we caught the sunset just at the end of our street. We ate at the Mall so we had a quiet evening playing cards and nibbling whatever was to hand.
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