~always. It's illegal to quote prices to consumers for most things ex VAT in the EU (you're allowed show the ex VAT price, but you must show the inc VAT price as the primary price).
Thanks for this insight, I was not aware of this difference. As far as I can see though, this doesn't account for the drastic difference, given the average sales tax in the US is roughly 7% [0][1]. On top of the $279, the price would then end up at about $300.
Depends on where you live. Some states don't have VAT ("sales tax" in the US), others do, still others have higher sales tax depending on the city you're in.
