[paulmd]

> Usually there's some little footnote on the menu or sign on the door stating the fee, so it would be impossible for a prosecutor to prove fraud.

which is, of course, an outcome of the current regulatory regime.

US prices are not advertised with taxes included either - even locally, where it is obvious what the nexus is. But this is not legal in the EU. We can outlaw random footnotes being an excuse for random fees too - there is a number on the menu, that should be the price of the item. Require all prices to be inclusive of fees/taxes etc so that people can see the full, final price before they get emotionally invested/etc.

Frankly this probably would result in lower total prices for consumers - people decide to buy based on the advertised number, people are not (reliably) rational/efficient about purchasing decisions, especially in situations with highly opaque information (is the other restaurant going to tack on an even higher fee? etc). Forcing all the fees to be rolled into the final price is, just like healthcare, a win for enabling people to have the most information to make the most accurate decisions, which helps drive costs down.

[nradov]

Forcing all taxes to be itemized separately is a win for enabling people to have the most information to make the most accurate decisions. It allows them to see how much money the government is taking from them, and depending on whether they think that number should be higher or lower, allows them to make informed voting decisions. Voting is far more important than choosing which restaurant to eat at.

[eiopa]

Why does that mean that the final price must the opaque during the moment of purchasing decision, though?

If the goal is keeping people informed, one can show various breakdowns, piecharts or any other creative infographic at the canvas of the bill.