I visited a number of shops around Kathmandu last week. I was very surprised that only a few shops gave me receipts for the items that I bought. Much less I had to ask for the receipt at some places. Getting a receipt for my purchases has already become a norm for me having lived abroad and not getting one feels short of my experience as a customer.

Following this experience, few questions came across my mind: are people in Kathmandu keeping weekly, monthly or yearly recordkeeping of their purchases without collecting receipts? Without proper recordkeeping, how would a person know how much money that they need to survive for a month or a year?

Answers to these questions help an individual or a family tremendously. Getting in the habit of collecting receipts and writing them on a notebook or an Excel sheet helps track expenses on a timely basis. It can help a person figure out where he/she spends most of the money and where he/she can save. Without receipts, you are missing out on easy recordkeeping. Well even without receipts, you can record your expenses in a book but having receipts will simplify your recordkeeping.

Asking for receipts also makes business sense. It should be a customer's right to ask for it. If a business refuses or hesitates to give a receipt, then there can be reason for concern. By having a receipt you can know what you were being charged and not be overcharged.

From what I have seen so far, there is not much tendency to give receipts or ask for receipts around Kathmandu. A few places have started providing receipts. Asking for a receipt for your purchases will help you in recordkeeping. Customers also should demand more from the businesses that they deal with. If customers are not asking for receipts, of course there is not much incentive for the business to provide any.

Photo courtesy of PlanetReceipt

http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2012/03/11/can-i-get-a-receipt

good job parakhi kathmandu ko sandarva ma bhanda receipt liye pani naliye pani khasai pharak pardaina dherai thao mata receipt liyena bhane ali thorai paisa katera saman dincha kathmandu ma for some reason i don't want to know why also. ali mahago mahago saman kinnda receipt magi magi lirahano ta thikai ho tara sano tino saman ko lagey ta ke lerahano hoina ta  but keep up ur writing u r really good writer after behoove me  i like it .

 @intelligentguy Customers have to demand more from the businesses they deal with. I understand that a business might be hesitant to offer receipts for daily purchases as milk and bread but then again if customers are asking for receipts then the business should provide them. Most people would collect receipts for business purposes yet I see that it's also important to collect receipts for personal recordkeeping.

I have a question for you:

I believe you are in the US and work and make a decent amount of living (approx 40-50K)

I also believe you are not yet a US citizen.  If you are then it doesn't apply to you.

If you are not a US citizen, when was the last time you paid taxes in Nepal. (Even if you pay tax in US, Nepal doesn't have a double tax treaty with Nepal: meaning you pay taxes on your worldwide income in Nepal)

Have you?  If not I think you asking this question is not appropriate.

Change happens from within. First change yourself then the world.

No offence.

After your next visit to Nepal, please write a topic on All Riksha  should have a portable credit card swip machine.