Last week I lunched at a Panda Express.
I was eating inside so I ordered my food "for here" paid tax and had my lunch.

I noticed that 2 groups had ordered "to go" but were eating inside the resturant.

It has never crossed my mind to order "go food" and then sit inside and eat.

If I started this I guess I could save enough on tax to have a free meal at the end of the week.....Just doesent feel right though.

Am I a sucker, or did mother raise a respectable man?

BTW the Thai Chicken with Cashew Nut is pretty decent.

There's a tax on eating in but not on to-go? What gibberish. If so, I can't believe such law was passed in .. Texas? Anyways, why not just take your food to go and eat it back at work or home? Unless if you ordered soda and want to drink as much as you can, just take it home as you clearly have an ethical issue with this.

To ask the question this way is to answer. Mothers are never wrong. @:-)

But, I notice that, as I travel around our Great Nation, this comes up all the time. For example, at a certain widely spread coffee chain, in some states, if you order to go, you pay no sales tax, if you ask for a china cup, you pay sales tax. In other states (Illinois) no matter what you say, you will get charged sales tax.

And, there are exceptions to the "rules". If you order to go in California, no sales tax. But, if you order to go at the LAX store, you are charged tax.

does anyone know if there is a website that lists what the rules is in different states?

I do this, but as a timesaver, not for tax purposes. If I have to leave before finishing, I don't have to ask for a to-go container to take the rest of my food with me. I just close the lid and boogie. Reduces waste, saves time and now I find there's a cost savings! Actually, no cost savings here, but I'll keep that in mind elsewhere.

Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems to me that you get more food when you order to go, particularly in a place like Panda Express or Wok-n-Roll. There's just more room in a to-go box than there is on a plate.

I know in Florida that the sales tax is the same for eat-in vs. to-go, so no tax advantage here. Only food that is not ready to eat (groceries, generally) is non-taxable. I picked up a muffin in a convenience store one time and warmed it up a little in the microwave, and the clerk said she had to charge the sales tax because of that.

I live in Texas and have never heard of a tax break for take away foods. Grocery store deli food, maybe, not sure. This is all new to me.

Not everyone would see this as a good thing. I like cheap chinese fast food and know I prefer one place over the other, but I have to be standing in ATL concourse A or B to know which it is. The one I like is in the back. The one I don't like is out front in the food court in the other concourse.

Yeah, from my last experience with Wok-n-Roll, empty containers would be the best amount.

That's generally true with Panda Express. Not that more is any better for you...

Up here in NorCal we have weird taxes too. I still haven't quite figured out what they do, but one Subway sometimes charges me tax and another Subway about 2 blocks away never charges me tax. There's no for-here or to-go option at Subway, so I have no idea.

Panda Express -- California.

There is no tax difference for here or to go in restaurants in California. The classic order to-go and eat here is Panda Express; This is because of the general belief that you get more food in the to-go container vs the eat here normal plate.

from wikipedia...California sales tax...
"Some food is taxed and some is exempt from tax. Restaurant bills are taxed, as is ready-to-eat hot food sold by supermarkets and similar vendors. As an exception, hot beverages and bakery items are tax-exempt if and only if they are for take-out and are not sold with any other hot food; if consumed on the seller's premises such items are taxed like restaurant meals. All other food is exempt from sales tax."

Even without tax, some places tend to charge more for eating in than eating out..

It's certainly not uncommon in a number of European countries and perhaps elsewhere due in part AFAIK to self-serve being taxed less than full service.

I've also known of numbers of Chinese restaurants in particular that offer 10% discounts for takeout orders but that's a little different.

You pay VAT on food in the UK if you eat in, but not for take-away. The VAT is charged because you get 'service' if you eat in