For those of you in California, we all share the same hatred for taxes. Now we aren’t going to teach you how to evade taxes through tax havens as a life hack, however we will teach you how you can save on tax at Subway and Starbucks!

1. Subway. To toast or not to toast, that is an easy question. Sure toasted subs might taste better; however just know you are going to pay a premium for that sucker! Untoasted subs will not be charged sales tax!

2. Starbucks. These guys are sneaky. Seldom do the cashiers at Starbucks ask whether your coffee is “for here” or “to go”, but next time you step into that money trap, make sure they know your coffee is “to go”. Coffee that is “to go” will not be charged sales tax!

Now, for those of you out there dying to know why this is, we will try our best to explain…California sales tax law is complex and seemingly inconsistent. Merchants have to charge tax if 80% of their sales are from food and drinks, an additional requirement is that 80% of the food and drinks have to be able to be consumed on site (whatever that means). However, merchants can petition the Board of Equalization to exempt to-go hot foods (Starbucks), bakery goods, and some cold foods (Subway).