Posted on 02/28/2011 6:38:18 AM PST by freedombiz
The Board of Equalization has proposed taxing certain wines as distilled spirits, which would increase the excise tax on the wine from 20 cents a gallon to$3.30 a gallon, a 1,550% jump. The higher tax is on wines to which distilled alcohol has been added, such as wine specialties, flavored table wine, wine cocktails, wine coolers or blends of wine from different fruits. It is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2012. The issue exemplifies the slippery slope that government starts down with a well-intentioned tax increase with unexpected consequences.
(Excerpt) Read more at jan.ocregister.com ...
There is the little thing about equal protection, or in this case equal exploitation, under the law.
Works every time. Brilliant!
“that government starts down with a well-intentioned tax increase with unexpected consequences”
well-intentioned ? For whom, for the ‘public servants’ with $300,000 pensions?
...if EVER there was an Orwellian term......
WTH is “The Board of Equalization?”
Seriously, that is so Orwellian that it sounds to the left of Stalin.
“.....wines to which distilled alcohol has been added, such as wine specialties, flavored table wine, wine cocktails, wine coolers or blends of wine from different fruits”
Aren’t these the sort of wines commonly purchased by homeless vagrants? It seems like they’re out to tax bums, who are thought not to vote or follow politics.
You've got to be kidding. All business taxes are ultimately paid by the consumer. Libs love to think their followers are so stupid (which, for the most part, they are) that they will accept a tax on all those bad business people and the libs will cheer them on...which they do. Unfortunately, those of us with more than one neuron firing recognize that such taxes must come from business income, which ultimately must come from the consumer. Idiots...
Put the same tax on crack cocaine, and the National Debt could be gone in 5 years......
That is a product killer tax. Consumers will buy from other wine producing regions.
The California death spiral has accelerated.
Looks like the wine industry will be the next industry that starts looking to leave California.
It's a clever scam, too. Taxes can always be initiated for some necessity or good cause. Then the Board of Equalization can later say that those taxes unfairly target a particular subgroup, so let's raise taxes on other groups in the interest of fairness. There's no ultimate limit here below 100% of all revenues eventually going to the State.
Sliding down the Laffer curve. Wheeeee!
You know that in the back of every tax/spend politicians mind out there is a desire to raise all taxation to the level of cigarettes.
Just think of the revenue!
It’s government tax percentage beats alcohol and gasoline and everything else.
The Feds take $1.01 right off the top and most of the states have a field day with the rest.
Put the same tax on crack cocaine, and the National Debt could be gone in 5 years......
And the California legislature will be in rehab.
The Board of Equalization??
I thought something like that was only in Animal Farm or 1984 or something like that.
Would it be legal, say, for the "Headquarters", owners, et al. to "move" the business to a free-enterprise state such as NV, and still be able to harvest the vine from their vinyards in CA?
I've heard of a CA division that chases people down that claim other states income (or non-income) tax rate, but have business interests in CA.
Sounds like something out of the 1930's New Deal era.
Yeah. Because TX, AZ other states outside CA are prime for growing wine making grapes. Now there is one premium domestic wine that does not have any grapes in it the growers could make in arid states.
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