An anti-tax advocate on HN, what a surprise. The solution is that they pay their goddamn taxes. Those taxes pay for services that companies avail of as well.
Who believes in that anymore? We're in the information age and people can see where their tax money actually goes. Merchants refusing taxes are just as legit as those who chose to pay taxes. Why should the customer spend his life worrying about if the government gets more money? If that is the case, he should first pay all of his money to the government.
But to the point: Many merchants just want to skip the fees, it usually has nothing to do with taxes. Small business owners get riled up about CC fees sometimes.
Plenty of people in countries with functioning public services and social safety nets.
> Merchants refusing taxes are just as legit as those who chose to pay taxes
As a point of pedantry, they’re in fact illegitimate in the literal sense. (I don’t intend this point as serious argument, just thought your phrasing was bit funny in the context)
> Many merchants just want to skip the fees
I completely agree with you here, it can make sense for a small business to prefer cash for that reason (and it’s equally okay for a customer to choose whether to do business with them).
