[twoNeurons]

Or looked at another way: Those 200 salads you buy for lunch during the year...

Your cost increased from $76 to $180.

And that's just for lunch.

If the tax had been hidden, retailers would've raised prices, but I doubt prices would've gone up 7% across the board.

With "transparent" taxes, retailers raise prices at the same time as the government.

I don't buy the "transparency" in tax issue.

Easy way to solve that is in consumer goods put both prices on the tag. They do that in Japan. It seems to work well.

e.g.
---
pre-tax: $35.71
Price: $40