[svcw]

So they are going to steal the money from the store that issued the gift card? What are the stores now supposed to do keep track of who spends what?

[wintertime]

What are the stores now supposed to do keep track of who spends what?
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Keeping track of that money sounds expensive for the stores...and...the states will not pay the stores for doing the state’s accounting and tax collecting.

[Richard Kimball]

What are the stores now supposed to do keep track of who spends what?

The stores already track that. The state stealing the money is incredibly sleazy, but the accounting on these gift cards is pretty tight. I expect far more of this kind of creative theft from the government as revenues fall and the cost of giving everybody a new pony goes up. Also expect your property values to go up on the tax roles even though the actual value is dropping, sudden *cough*cough* studies that show 380 people and two puppies die for every person that doesn't wear a seat belt, requiring significantly higher fines and enhanced enforcement of seat belt laws. There will be a booming business in red light cameras, and cigarettes will become more expensive as new studies show that cigarettes cause a person two blocks away from the smoker to explode.

[IYAS9YAS]

So they are going to steal the money from the store that issued the gift card?

Yes and no. The store got its money, but in the form of unearned revenue, a liability, meaning they still owe someone product for the monetary value of the gift card. Essentially, the actual theft is from the consumer by the state.