Bill Please!

What all would people do to avoid tax? Recently I went to a helmet shop to get a helmet lock. It costed 150 bucks. Once I paid the money, he didn’t give me the bill. Usually, I don’t bother about the bill, but this time, something told me to get the bill from him.

“Your wish” was what my friend said, when I asked him outside the shop whether to forget about the bill.

I immediately went inside and asked for the bill. This is what happened between the shopkeeper and me.

Shopkeeper: Oh! You want the bill? It would cost around…

The shopkeeper took out his calci and meddled with it before continuing.

Shopkeeper: …around 20 bucks extra. Do you want it?

He sounded the last few words as if he is very anxious about the reply.

I went out and asked my friend whether to pay the extra amount, meanwhile wondering whether the twenty bucks extra would do anything good for the country.

“Your wish” was again my friend’s reply.

I went back in and…

Myself: Alright! I need the bill

The shopkeeper just nodded his head and reluctantly took out his bill pad.

After reaching a blank page…

Shopkeeper: Are you sure you want to pay extra twenty bucks?

Myself: Yes!

Shopkeeper: Why do you want to waste twenty bucks?

Myself: No problem. I don’t mind

Shopkeeper: Oh! You need the bill for claiming the money, right?

Myself: Ya… something like that

Shopkeeper: Shall I write it in one slip and give it to you?

Myself: No. Make it in a bill.

The shopkeeper finally decided to shut his mouth and let his pen do the action. He scribbled something in his notepad along with the bill details and added VAT charges, and summed it up exactly to 170 bucks. I paid the extra twenty bucks to the shopkeeper, who, at that time, looked like he had suffered huge business loss.

People just want to avoid tax as much as possible. So they follow against the rules. We never get a bill from a grocery store. How much tax charges would they have avoided? It won’t be a surprise if the grocer stares at you as if you are crazy, just because you asked for the bill.