The Attorney General of the state of Washington
enters the restaurant business (from the backdoor);
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington
Attorney General Bob Ferguson says businesses can add surcharges as a
way to cover the costs of new minimum wage laws in some cities, but
those charges must be clearly disclosed.
Ferguson released
guidelines on the issue Tuesday, following reports that some Seattle
businesses, including restaurants, were adding a surcharge in response
to the city's new minimum wage law, which will eventually bring minimum
pay to $15 an hour. SeaTac has a similar ordinance.
It's all consumer protection, of course.
The attorney general said he wants to make sure customers understand what they're paying for.
But eventually the Tacoma News Tribune gets to the real reason the AG is sticking his nose into other people's businesses;
Among
the guidelines, businesses must clearly disclose the charge, not
mischaracterize the charge as a tax or government mandate, and not use
the money for anything other than paying workers' wages.
I.e., don't you dare blame us politicians! Nor have we forgotten that you exploiters of labor have a partner (in gross, not net)
They also say the surcharge is subject to the state's business and occupation tax and retail sales taxes.
Effectively a double tax on the same sale.
Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/06/23/3853425_attorney-general-minimum-wage.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
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