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Joel Mathis's avatar

I can tell you that when I worked briefly for tips in my mid-30s, they were functionally tax exempt.

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Joel Mathis's avatar

By which I mean: I took my cash and went home.

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Bonnie Kristian's avatar

Oh yeah, when I waited tables it was considered exceptionally scrupulous to report any tips at all

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Joel Mathis's avatar

You're clearly a better person than I am.

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Bonnie Kristian's avatar

eh, little of that, little of being an 18-year-old libertarian scared of going to jail for tax fraud :P

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Joel Mathis's avatar

That said, I'm somewhat sympathetic to the owners here. You're getting essays because the alternative is having long conversations with diners, over and over, or -- worse -- forcing wait staff to explain their compensation structure to diners, over and over. Maybe this is a transitional period and in five years more folks will understand what they're getting without the fuss.

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