[BlackFly]

The tax is not clear in both cases, but it is present in both cases. The difference is in one case (Nova Scotia, in this example) you walk up to the counter with $37.64 and pay 15% tax on the $27.65 portion because the $9.99 feminine hygiene products are exempt; you don't work out the tax in your head because you can never remember which items are exempt, you figure it out by looking at your receipt and see you paid $4.15 in tax. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands you walk to the counter with 43.38€ worth of goods and you pay precisely 43.38€. You again look at your receipt and see that you paid 2.46€ in tax (6% rate for food and medicine).

Certainly, people try to argue that Europeans don't realize they are paying tax, but this is simply false. In both cases, people know they are paying taxes; even foreigners realize it. The only real difference is that it is trivial in Europe to work out how much money will be paid for the goods picked up before getting to the checkout and there is no need to have memorized the tax code. The only thing you need to be able to do is add and you will know how much money you will need to pay.