The people, via the Constitution give the government the power to tax to raise revenues to run the government not to punish the people if they break a law.... that what fines are for (if a tax is a fine for breaking a law what law did you break to "own" income or sales tax?)...seem to me using a tax as a punishment is an "unusual" if not cruel punishment
So can the government use a tax, not for revenues but as coercion to force a person to do something and or to punish a person?...
Seem that if the government has decides it can use the tax system as coercive force....
The Constitution can clear be amendment to stated that the power granted to tax may NOT BE USE AS A coercive force on the people...some time you have to spell out the obvious for the stupid