[forapurpose]

> The business isn't paying the tax

I despise Norquist, but I believe the words above are not true in a consequential sense. The law may say 'the state taxes the consumer', but who is meaningfully affected?

The business handles the mechanics of collecting and paying the tax. And whose pocket the tax really comes out of depends on the elasticity of demand, IIRC my economics. That is, it depends on how much the business can raise the price without hurting profits:

If the product is highly price sensitive, something like a can of peas, then the business can't raise the price very much without hurting demand and the tax will effectively come out of the business' profits. If the product is highly price insensitive, such as life-saving drugs, then the cost of the tax will be passed on to the consumer.

[jedberg]

The sales tax is collected after the transaction, so price elasticity has nothing to do with it.

What you wrote applies to other things like an increase in rent or property tax, which has to be built into the cost of the product. But it doesn’t apply to sales tax.

[forapurpose]

I'm not sure what you mean - would you explain? To the degree demand is inelastic, the seller will pass on the cost of the tax to the buyer. The buyer knows what the final bill will be, regardless of when the government collects the tax.

(Also, when I buy things in U.S. states with sales tax, the tax is on the bill and even if it's not part of the advertised price, I expect it and it's part of my purchase decision. People regularly cross state lines to avoid sales tax.)