Tax avoidance is the catch-all phrase economists use to denote activities you would not otherwise engage in, other than in an attempt to avoid paying some sort of tax, or to lower your overall tax liability. Maybe you don’t work as much as you could to avoid being bumped up into that next income tax bracket, or put in that questionably necessary home office.

Well to the surprise of no one, tax-happy France has even placed excises on it’s signature product. The city of Paris has a tax on wine served in restaurants… but it’s levied by the piece of stemware or glassware used.

National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog has the story about a trip to the restaurant in question. I’ll let you read the whole thing for a better idea of how they avoid this tax, but here’s a hint: