Romanian customers oppose regulating tips in restaurants

Consumer associations in Romania firmly resisted proposals from investors in the hospitality sector lobbying for regulated tips.

The consumer associations stressed that it should be the customers' decision, whether to pay a tip or not and how large that tip should be, local Profit.ro reported.

Earlier last week, the associations in the hospitality industry approached the Government with a proposal for regulating the tips in the sense of including it in the bill, but not as a revenue subject to taxation of VAT. Since the customer already pays for the service delivered, he should not be invoiced supplementary for tips, customers’ associations argued.

“Let us be European customers,” the associations said.

In mid-2015, the service firms were allowed to include the tips in the bills, but this regulation lasted for only one month for practical reasons. Since then, the Government claimed the earners of such revenues should declare them and pay income, Profit.ro explained.

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