Breakfast Diva
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 5,911
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What's the world coming to?
http://www.frommers.com/articles/7222.html
http://www.frommers.com/articles/7222.html
I think it would confuse the guest. Maybe not worth the $2.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
True, but then again, it's also not my money, it's theirs. Of course, do they need to know how we break it down until they see the invoice?I think it would confuse the guest. Maybe not worth the $2.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
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Your not paying the tax... your customers are! Your just collecting them.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
Hence the "household services" which include breakfast, housekeeping, charming interactions, heat, cooling, electricity, water, bathrooms, amenities, towels, furniture, clean sheets etc. Everything but the four walls, floor and ceiling.Your not paying the tax... your customers are! Your just collecting them.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
If I were presented an invoice like this I would be thinking that housekeeping was optional. What if repeat guests come in and say no to housekeeping or put out the do not disturb sign and then refuse to pay that part of the bill. Not worth your efforts to save your guests $2!
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Hence the "household services" which include breakfast, housekeeping, charming interactions, heat, cooling, electricity, water, bathrooms, amenities, towels, furniture, clean sheets etc. Everything but the four walls, floor and ceiling.Your not paying the tax... your customers are! Your just collecting them.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
If I were presented an invoice like this I would be thinking that housekeeping was optional. What if repeat guests come in and say no to housekeeping or put out the do not disturb sign and then refuse to pay that part of the bill. Not worth your efforts to save your guests $2!
.
Which is exactly why I haven't changed a thing. Still, I hate paying extra tax for no reason.
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We have to charge our guests 7% state sales tax and 5% county innkeepers tax. Of that 5%, half of all the money collected goes to pay for a local facility where people play softball. The motels have to bid against each other to have out of town teams stay, with the understanding that a certain percentage of the revenues collected for rooms rented will be paid to the tournament organizers. I get really upset every month when I send the check to the county.GBManor said:Which is exactly why I haven't changed a thing. Still, I hate paying extra tax for no reason.
It's the time of year now that I start hearing from all those kids with J1 visas wanting summer jobs. Yes, all from Eastern Europe.Its mad round here only eastern europeans will do chamber maid jobs UK people would rather be unemployed. Trouble is too many hotel jobs are seen as steps on the way to something else not a career which they are trying to change but it is a slow process..
Hey! I started off here 20 years ago with a J1 visa, we're not ALL bad .... but most of those "letters" you get don't actually have J1 visas or they would have a job, they have the potential to GET one if you offer them one but they figure SOMEONE will fall for itIt's the time of year now that I start hearing from all those kids with J1 visas wanting summer jobs. Yes, all from Eastern Europe.Its mad round here only eastern europeans will do chamber maid jobs UK people would rather be unemployed. Trouble is too many hotel jobs are seen as steps on the way to something else not a career which they are trying to change but it is a slow process..
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That's the problem with the visa kids- they need accommodations. I had 4 of them show up here one summer and they wanted to share a room. They were going to 'hot bed' as in someone is always sleeping in the bed and the others are working. Can you imagine the strain on that one room if someone was always in there for 3 months straight!Im sorry but people generally baffle me we get people non stop looking for jobs but I guarantee if you said housekeeping (ie scrubbing toilets) they would be off i am sorry but any job in a recession is a good one until you maybe can get something better.Trouble is here a lot of people come from eastern europe and take anything to get started so you can guarantee you get them trained and then they are off so you have to start all over again. Also they struggle for transport as most arrive with nothing so for them to work and or live anywhere but the town center is difficult. They tend to hit the big hotels as some have live in accommodation which is only $60 a week and that provides a good launch pad..
I wish we had a list to choose from. We generally get 2-3 responses to our ad. Either they don't have transportation or they don't know what 'housekeeping' means. Lots of front desk and flower arranging concierges out there. Not too many toilet scrubbing bed makers, tho.When we advertised our housekeeping jobs last year - and it was very clear they were part-time housekeeping - we had hundreds of phone calls and I had my choice of a half dozen well-qualified, reliable candidates. The two that I hired have been great. I would rather employ local folks than students on visas.
Maybe we're lucky, but I have not had the housekeeping horror stories that other innkeepers have had. In my previous life, I specialized in interviewing and recruiting; I have been told I'm better than average at sizing up potential employees..
Innkeep, this is really interesting. Our raised the hotel/motel tax by 1% and those monies from that extra percent would go to support the sports council. The C&VB made an argument for this that all the people coming for tournaments would stay in our hotels and the circle would be complete. What type of hotels do you think these teams stayed in?Hence the "household services" which include breakfast, housekeeping, charming interactions, heat, cooling, electricity, water, bathrooms, amenities, towels, furniture, clean sheets etc. Everything but the four walls, floor and ceiling.Your not paying the tax... your customers are! Your just collecting them.I've actually considered breaking some of this out, but not for the same reason.... more of a tax dodge. I have to collect a 3.5% room tax, it's only collectable on rooms (and it's taxable.) So if the room is $100 then I have to collect:
$100 + $3.50 room tax (3.5%) + $5.18 GST (5%) + $9.24 QST (8.5%) = $117.92
But if I have a household services charge of $50 and a room charge of $50...
$50 + $1.75 room tax + $50 = $101.75 + $5.09 GST (5%) + $9.08 QST (8.5%) = $115.92
Which means that the guest saves $2, none of which costs me a single penny and since the local tourism department does nothing for me (they don't even list me on their website, they want me to pay them even more money to do that), I don't see the point of giving them more money. (And yes, I checked, it is only collectable on the room, not my parking, not my meals, etc. But I would have to seperate the charges to do this.).
If I were presented an invoice like this I would be thinking that housekeeping was optional. What if repeat guests come in and say no to housekeeping or put out the do not disturb sign and then refuse to pay that part of the bill. Not worth your efforts to save your guests $2!
.
Which is exactly why I haven't changed a thing. Still, I hate paying extra tax for no reason.
.We have to charge our guests 7% state sales tax and 5% county innkeepers tax. Of that 5%, half of all the money collected goes to pay for a local facility where people play softball. The motels have to bid against each other to have out of town teams stay, with the understanding that a certain percentage of the revenues collected for rooms rented will be paid to the tournament organizers. I get really upset every month when I send the check to the county.GBManor said:Which is exactly why I haven't changed a thing. Still, I hate paying extra tax for no reason.
The actual economic impact of these tournaments is unknown, and even if there is one, the facility is only in use in the summer. And the softballers aren't ever going to visit my place, for sure.
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