Tipping

[Kraj]

I was curious about wazz's comment about tipping in Japan so I thought I'd find out more. In my searchings I came across this tidbit:

Since there is an automatic service charge in restaurant bills, tipping is usually unnecessary. Tipping is not required for most other services, but if you stay at a country inn (“ryokan”), you may give your maid a 5% tip.

I read it at this website which is full of fascinating business-related culture facts. It's so interesting to see how little things have such a different social significance in other cultures.

 

[Rich]

Oh Ricky, your prattle grows more feeble with each passing day...

Just a social comment there Kenny, was there something offensive within the observation, a lie perhaps ?

 

[KenHigg]

Just a social comment there Kenny, was there something offensive within the observation, a lie perhaps ?

Seeing that your comment was somewhat senseless, I mean, it seems to me that no matter where you lived, the more money you spend the better service you'd get , I assumed you meant to insult America. In which case you done much better in insulting US in the past. As such, I doubt the dribble could be misconstrued by any intelligent person to be a said 'observation' worth further consideration

 

[Rich]

Seeing that your comment was somewhat senseless, I mean, it seems to me that no matter where you lived, the more money you spend the better service you'd get , I assumed you meant to insult America. In which case you done much better in insulting US in the past. As such, I doubt the dribble could be misconstrued by any intelligent person to be a said 'observation' worth further consideration

Tut tut tut, there you lot go again, both Col and I make valid observations and are bellitled, abused, etc.

Let's go back to Col's comment, how much do you have to tip your doctors and nurses, and what about those who have no money to tip them, are they not subject to the same service, oops, silly me, of course not.
Like I said, you need money in America to get service, of course in a socially just society this wouldn't happen, the minimum wage would apply equally to everybody

 

[KenHigg]

Tut tut tut, there you lot go again, both Col and I make valid observations and are bellitled, abused, etc.

So you don't like being bellitled and abused?

 

[Rich]

So you don't like being bellitled and abused?

Not when there's no moral or legal basis for it
Now, answer the points raised

 

[MrsGorilla]

Let's go back to Col's comment, how much do you have to tip your doctors and nurses, and what about those who have no money to tip them

Well, let's be honest here. No, we don't have to tip doctors and nurses, but then their salaries are such that they don't really require it. If the legislation were ever changed to make waiters/waitresses subject to the same wage laws as everyone else, then we could reconsider the whole tipping culture we have here. As it stands now, they depend on that money as part of their salary. Right or wrong, that's just the way it is.

 

[Rich]

Well now that we've established there's a need for change over there, how do the tax authorities deal with tips ?

 

[KenHigg]

Not when there's no moral or legal basis for it

What the heck is a legal basis to belittle someone

 

[Rich]

What the heck is a legal basis to belittle someone

a legitimate reason

 

[Kraj]

a legitimate reason

a.k.a., a reason which Rich decides is legitimate.

 

[KenHigg]

a legitimate reason

And just what may I ask is a legitimate reason for you to keep insulting Americans?

 

[MrsGorilla]

Well now that we've established there's a need for change over there, how do the tax authorities deal with tips ?

Well, I'm not 100% sure on this one but I think the waitstaff is responsible on the "honor" system of reporting their tips as taxable income when they file their tax returns and as such would have to pay taxes on that to the government. Way back when I had some friends that were waiters/waitresses I know some of them did keep track and do tax withholding but I suspect that there are many more who "fib" on the amount of tips they got. Maybe it's their one perk for having a job of that type. I don't know how stringently the IRS keeps up with this because it probably wouldn't amount to a whole lot but I suspect that if a waiter claimed to not have earned any tips at all it would raise their suspicions. I'm not even sure if this is still the way it is done or not, I'm just stating what I was told by my waiter friends many years ago.

 

[Rich]

I'm just stating what I was told by my waiter friends many years ago.

Yes, over here there are certain tradesthat the the revenue decides automatically gain a certain amount in tips and that amount is taken for granted and included as earnings on top of their actual wage

 

[Kraj]

In the US, tipped employees are required by law to report 100% of their tips. However, the reporting process is generally in the hands of the employee, although credit card tansactions usually automatically report tips. As is generally common knowledge, the IRS has an elaborate set of calculations which flag a person for an audit based on what they report. A server, for example, will often be flagged for reporting tips of less than 12% or so of their sales (since 15% is the accepted average). The funny kicker is, though, that if you report more than about 20% you also get flagged. This is because some people work seasonally as a tipped employee, overstate their tips, and then collect a larger unemployment check when their seasonal job ends. The result (at least where I worked) was gross underreporting of tips. But considering an average server at Olive Garden walks with maybe $400-450 a week and receives a $0 paycheck, I'm not going to shed any tears for the IRS.

 

[Rich]

And just what may I ask is a legitimate reason for you to keep insulting Americans?

How long have you got ?
Let me see, the most powerful nation on earth is insulted by legitimate comment ?

 

[Rich]

The result (at least where I worked) was gross underreporting of tips. But considering an average server at Olive Garden walks with maybe $400-450 a week and receives a $0 paycheck, I'm not going to shed any tears for the IRS.

So one can be forgiven for immediately jumping to the conclusion that Americans are dishonest

 

[MrsGorilla]

So one can be forgiven for immediately jumping to the conclusion that Americans are dishonest

Not ALL Americans.

But seriously, with the salaries that most waitstaff make most people don't begrudge them a little fibbing with the amount of their tips.

 

[Rich]

Not ALL Americans.
.

If given the opportunity ?

But seriously, with the salaries that most waitstaff make most people don't begrudge them a little fibbing with the amount of their tips

how about the taxi drivers, hairdressers, etc. ?
one has to assume from the figures given by the forum expert on the subject that the combination of their wage and tips amount to a tidy sum

 

[KenHigg]

Why are you concerned about the helmet laws and tipping and all this American stuff? You sure frett over a bunch of stuff that is of little or no concern to you. Unless you just like being rude to us