SultanOfSwing

Damn, I did miss that one. I guess I must have momentarily switched off.

Steve_

That point might make sense now with the internet, but back when it was in your local paper or local radio I don't think that was relevant.

I think basically the reason is because it is a sales tax (or use tax), not a value-added tax. They are fundamentally different concepts. Although GST and HST are value-added taxes and those aren't included in the price in Canada. However one can argue that once it is added to the value through the supply chain, it becomes part of the price.

As for gas taxes, that isn't a sales tax, it's an excise tax fundamentally. You don't see that added at the checkout for things like alcohol or tobacco either (or guns, in the US).

Although here in Alberta, I notice occasionally some gas stations do have a breakdown of the tax, they have a little bar graph which says "for every $1 in gas you buy, you pay the following amounts" and it has a break down of federal excise tax, provincial excise tax, GST and the actual amount of the gas. Usually smaller gas stations I find.

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe they don't add the GST to the price because of the PST having to be added as well at a different rate between federal and provincial as well as to what is taxed, not everything with GST will have PST added for example.

Probably why hotels don't include tax as well, locally hotels are taxed by 3 levels of government:

GST-feds (5%)
PST- province (8%) (Hotel rooms are taxed at a higher rate in BC then other things are.)
Local (2%)

Combining them into the price wouldn't make much sense and people need to see who is taxing them and how much.

lansbury

What about 3 way switches

Lion in Winter

Or dual switches

Pulaski

What's a dual switch? ...... I think you mean the same thing as what Lansbury said, a pair of "three way switches" are used to achieve two switches for the same light. A three-way switch has an extra connection (three instead of two) to make the circuit work.



In any case I find it irritating that they are invariably installed so that one is always up when the lights are off, and I have recently been planning, after more than 12 years here, to remove and invert one of each of the three-way switches.

Nutek

I notice the one you have there is in the "off" position.

Pulaski

It's a three-way switch, so it would depend on the position of the other switch.

RoadWarriorFromLP

There are laws that prevent sales taxes from being included in prices. I would presume that these are partly for the sake of record keeping (the government has an easier time knowing what it is owed when the taxes are itemized in the receipts.)

There are also cases in which the tax varies based upon the customer. Sales taxes for cars are usually determined by the address of the party that registers it, not by the location of the dealer -- if the buyer is from out of state, then it probably won't owe any tax to that state. (The vehicle gets "exported", and the tax is paid to the place where it ends up.) There is no way for a dealer to advertise a price with tax included.

This must also be something that merchants and producers want. They don't want to be blamed for price increases caused by taxes, they want to be able to point out that not all of the money is going to them, and they want to be able to advertise prices in a uniform manner.

amideislas

The logic of 'down on' as explained to me by a German engineer is that it was intended to mimic the action of 'pressing a button down', although even he admitted that in practice, it is effectively 'negative logic'.

From a personal point of view, I also find it odd not only from a 'digital' perspective (up being 1 or 'on', down being 0, or 'off)' but also in that 'up' to turn on the overhead lights just seems like common sense.

Pulaski

My father always rationalized as a safety thing, in an emergency all you need to do was swipe downwards at it, which you might be able to do even as you were falling.

AdobePinon

Don't even know which way is on. If state of light incorrect, flip switch other way.

Might have to remount all of mine sideways now.

lizzyq

In that case would you flip right or left for on?