Published: May 25, 2005 LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The state Treasury Department has sent letters to about 2,800 residents ordering them to pay the $2-a-pack cigarette tax on their Internet tobacco purchases.
Posted on 05/25/2005 9:33:47 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
State Collects $2.5 Million in Taxes on Tobacco Bought Online
Published: May 25, 2005 LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The state Treasury Department has sent letters to about 2,800 residents ordering them to pay the $2-a-pack cigarette tax on their Internet tobacco purchases.
The letters seek an average of $3,200 from each buyer, department spokesman Terry Stanton said. The crackdown, which started in February with about 500 letters, already has netted $2.5 million.
The state eventually could target thousands more Michigan smokers as more vendors respond to subpoenas demanding information about online cigarette purchases made since 2001.
Two Web sites, eSmokes.com and DirtCheapCig.com, supplied the names of 11,579 Michigan residents who bought 581,808 cartons, costing the state $8.5 million in taxes.
A third site has started identifying customers, and the state subpoenaed United Parcel Service to get information about shipments from some of the 10 companies that have not responded, The Detroit News said Wednesday.
The cash-strapped state is prosecuting dozens of residents who bought more than 300 cartons online, according to a report on the Treasury Department's Web site. Rewards of up to $5,000 are being offered to those who tell authorities about tax-free cigarette purchases.
---
On the Net:
Michigan Department of Treasury: http://www.michigan.gov/treasury
---
Information from: The Detroit News, http://www.detnews.com
AP-ES-05-25-05 1211EDT
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1345916/posts
ping
Thanks for the ping!!! 
They can't have both.
The next step is to start using aliases and confusing ID trails as otherwise honest people attempt to circumvent the smash & grab tactics of the state, leading these people into more serious criminal code violations. I believe that criminal acts should be confined to criminal behaviour. There is nothing inherently criminal about buying cigarettes or using freon (for example). I got a notice just the other day that using a sewage pumping service to pump out a grease trap was now a 2nd degree felony. A felony? For using a septic tank service to clean a grease trap? That is just plain insane.
Rewards of up to $5,000 are being offered to those who tell authorities about tax-free cigarette purchases.
I am not surprised. We have been moving towards a Socialist Police state since the 40's. It is unstoppable. What people don't understand that as the government takes a larger percentage of national income, it must become more forceful with its citizens to maintain such theft of income. Additionally, with the government employing an ever increasing number of parasitic employees, they have to justify their reason to get paid by passing more onerous rules and regs. The government has long passed being so called civil service and has moved to being one of "elite rulers." We are here to serve government. Our Founders would not be proud of where we have come. Then again, being that they were very cynical of those in government, they would probably be surprised that we lasted this long. It's disgusting how these parasites in government justify their sadistic actions by quote rules and regulations. Damn them all to Hell. [Note: I am still livid over the traitorous actions of McCain and the weakness of Frist -- therefore the rant :) ]
yes, the parasite class wants us to be snitches. Yea, this is part of a civil society. 99% of what government does is eroding our civil society. Parasites at all levels continually harass and burden us with paperwork, all the while moaning at how people "aren't following the rules and such." It is disgusting. Reagan was correct, another revolution is coming.
I hate to tell the dweebs and bean counters in Lansing - that is NOT your money....it belongs to Michigan taxpayers.
Im sure it never occurred to the dimbulbs in the Michigan Legislature to LOWER THE CIGARTTE tax. The lack of economic know how coming from people who are supposedly supposed to be looking out for the interests of taxpayers is unreal.
MEMO to all legislators in all states: YOU WORK FOR US, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
BUMP!
Time to make some adjustments in the real world...
That is also how they are enforcing smoking bans across the country.
Hopefully it's not too late.
Isn't that sick? For a legal commodity too!
There was no law in play at that time forcing such a tax.
So this is -- as is typical for government these days -- an illegal post-ex-facto application of the law.
But hey. Expecting legal behavior out of government is awfully silly, these days.
LOL! You really believe that, don't you?
America has long since moved past such quaint and outdated concepts.
Amen!
Unfortunately there is - it is called the Jenkins Act which I have always thought to have been from 1954 - but saw ealier it dated 1949.
I know - but a girl can dream, can't she?
And to think this country was started partly due to a tea tax. Stories like this really make the blood pressure rise.
I don't think so. On another thread over the filibuster, the Conservative lawmakers that voted for this business, are being threatened with being pulled out of office. By who? By their constituents. And we will do it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.