The tips thing, revisited

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Tue, 20 May 2014 1:49 pm

Or, better yet, hire proper chefs who know how to actually prepare a meals for a table with varied dishes. A proper chef will know what to throw on the fire and when so that is all comes to fruition at the same time. Oh, that costs money, and as Singapore is a tourist town, it's nevermind, they are on holidays and wont be back so suka-suka anyhow can.

Max Headroom · Post by **Max Headroom** » Tue, 20 May 2014 2:54 pm

HAHAHA!!!

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Tue, 20 May 2014 3:44 pm

You see, Max, not often but when it's needed, I can.

Locals are right to a certain extent. Sometimes Singlish does say it much better.

Max Headroom · Post by **Max Headroom** » Tue, 20 May 2014 4:35 pm

Ya loh.

Brah · Post by **Brah** » Tue, 20 May 2014 9:53 pm

Primrose Hill wrote:I hate it when I get charged for tap water too. Or the subtlelity of London waiters - Mdm, you want still water or........

Do not allow them to pull that one, they are even doing that now in very casual restaurants. Some places seem to do this to see who will be suckered into it. When they do, I answer that question with "ice water".

If it's a nice restaurant, occasionally I will order, but it is my choice, not theirs.

If you think the restaurant will be tricky, be tricky back; the wife always requests warm water, which is neither of the ice, sparkling or still variety in terms of order-taking.

earthfriendly · Post by **earthfriendly** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 2:28 am

http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/06/0 ... mpid=tp-fb

That is why tipping is so central to American diners. Waiters are paid a non-livable wage. Although it varies between states. Some states require min wage.

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 11:50 am

earthfriendly wrote:http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/06/0 ... mpid=tp-fb

That is why tipping is so central to American diners. Waiters are paid a non-livable wage. Although it varies between states. Some states require min wage.

No one has a gun to their head to take those jobs. Don't treat it like this is some destitute portion of society. Any half-way decent waiter or waitress in a moderately popular spot will pull in hundreds of dollars a night, and likely not pay taxes on it.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 12:50 pm

Actually, as a former tax accountant in Washington DC, I can vouch for the fact that the IRS automatically computes tips as 80% of the total salary for wait staff. So if they are reporting less that 4 times their draw, they could invite an audit (net worth audits are a beach!). Most professional Waitstaff do reports all their tips. And in the US, there is no shame in be service staff in the F&B industry. It's also virtually full employment and usually has lines of potential waitstaff waiting in the wings in the better restaurants.

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 1:25 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Actually, as a former tax accountant in Washington DC, I can vouch for the fact that the IRS automatically computes tips as 80% of the total salary for wait staff. So if they are reporting less that 4 times their draw, they could invite an audit (net worth audits are a beach!). Most professional Waitstaff do reports all their tips. And in the US, there is no shame in be service staff in the F&B industry. It's also virtually full employment and usually has lines of potential waitstaff waiting in the wings in the better restaurants.

Really? That surprises me. I always try to leave cash even when paying with CC hoping they could avoid taxes. Ah well.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 3:29 pm

zzm9980 wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Actually, as a former tax accountant in Washington DC, I can vouch for the fact that the IRS automatically computes tips as 80% of the total salary for wait staff. So if they are reporting less that 4 times their draw, they could invite an audit (net worth audits are a beach!). Most professional Waitstaff do reports all their tips. And in the US, there is no shame in be service staff in the F&B industry. It's also virtually full employment and usually has lines of potential waitstaff waiting in the wings in the better restaurants.
Really? That surprises me. I always try to leave cash even when paying with CC hoping they could avoid taxes. Ah well.

I've heard a parallel thing (re: the US).
The IRS take the turn-over (and/or number/$ of bills) and extrapolate the tips an establishments wait-staff should on average have earned, and then tax them on it.

I remember the first time I heard this, thinking, 'wow that's harsh, perhaps you're not getting tipped, but then you being taxed on it anyway!

What I can say though is that a good waiter is worth a good tip; and US wait-staff tend to be more motivated and informed than most.

Compare and contrast versus SG. But then here, most tips are added to the bill and go straight into the cash-till.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 4:55 pm

They probably do that as well, GR8. Once that is pegged, they might proceed to the net worth audit. This is how they used to catch the crabbers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland who had low, low reported incomes but lived in Brick waterfront homes and drove the latest big dualie pickups. The agents put on their jeans and ragged shirt/coats and caps. Didn't shave for a week and then waited for the crab boats to come in and like a lot of other people waiting on the docks, bought crabs by the bushel basket for several weeks and with that info it was rather easily to extrapolate to figure out their turnover annual turnover (crabbing season is for a limited time so there is no such thing as holidays and weekends during the crabbing season. (normally 75% of their daily catch is sold as a cash crop on the dock). A lot of them lost their boats, homes, trucks and ended up bankrupt.

For the record, I used to be the district director for HRB in Washington DC with 23 offices under my control. I've been to almost 3000 audits over the years (including one of my own two years after I left and went to the Gulf of Mexico as a commercial diver). Which I won needless to say.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 5:10 pm

Tax audit, to rig diving.

Just a little bit of a career shift!

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 7:05 pm

I resigned on my 29th birthday, and never looked back. Best thing I ever did. Didn't make any money, but I've lived my whole life in the words of Nike. Who knows what crazy idea will hit me next, provided I'm still able. So far, I've I tried everything I've wanted to try or do. Some I loved, some I just did it. Others, I've never tried as it doesn't interest me (like mountain/rock climbing).

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 7:18 pm

JR8 wrote:Tax audit, to rig diving.

Just a little bit of a career shift!

needless to say but he took the plunge and dived right in.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sat, 07 Jun 2014 7:56 pm

^^This!

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The tips thing, revisited

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