It does make the prices appear cheaper , but I mean , it ' s not like taxes are a surprise at the register , we know we ' re going to pay slightly more at the register , they aren ' t tricking us . Here ' s the thing , the price on the tag is the price . That ' s what the store gets . Why should a national chain have to go through the trouble of setting literally thousands of different price points for every state , county , and city They all have different sales tax rates . It ' s not part of the price of the item . It ' s the tax . It goes to the government . It gets calculated when you purchase your items . It ' s an entirely separate thing from paying for what your buying . I don ' t know anyone who ' s ever had a problem with how we do sales tax . Plus , I LIKE seeing the tax calculated separately on the receipt . That tells me how much I ' m paying in taxes . It ' s not hidden in the price of the item . It ' s a separate line item . You bought $ 20 worth of stuff and gave $ 2 to the city and state . vs You spent $ 22 on some stuff and some of it went to the city and state . The first one is way more honest to me .