Smoking out cigarette tax evaders

Chicago Tribune ^ | September 12, 2010 | Julie Wernau

[ConservativeStatement]

Chicago loses an estimated $120 million a year — and the U.S. billions — on uncollected taxes on cigarettes. But that could change with the Sept. 2 sale of a little-known Illinois company that produces cigarette tax stamps that are used throughout the country.

States have struggled for more than a half-century to control rampant cigarette tax evasion, the result of stamp counterfeiting, cross-border smuggling, sales of unstamped products and other illegal activity.

[ConservativeStatement]

Cue up "Tax Man"!

[sauropod]

Another step toward Big Brother.

[FrankR]

I would love to see if if everyone just up and quit smoking. Oh it would be the wailing and gnasing of teeth amongst the tax pimps. THEN we would see that they don’t really give a damn about the health effects of smoking...just the tax effects.

[wastedyears]

Insanity

Why tax a person’s habit?

[libertarian27]

“I need to see your license, registration and cigarette pack...”

[mylife]

Obie is the Taxman!

[A_perfect_lady]

Chicago loses an estimated $120 million a year — and the U.S. billions — on uncollected taxes on cigarettes

How can you lose what you never had?

[Oldpuppymax]

Wow! All that money Daley wasn’t able steal!!

[FlingWingFlyer]

The commie nanny state relies on smokers for its survival. Without the money stolen from smokers by the feds, the ‘RATS commie nanny state is toast. Communism has never worked anywhere.

[A_perfect_lady]

Why tax a person’s habit?

Because it's a hard habit to break, thus a reliable source of income if they can just figure out how to enforce it.

[eyedigress]

What would happen if I spit some Beechnut in his eye.....

[mylife]

Smoke a ciggie, get taxed. Smoke some pole and get a gubmint subside.

Cigarettes are bad MmmKay...???

[tired1]

I've just gone to rolling my own, it's 1/10 th price.

[doodad]

Chicago loses an estimated $120 million a year

Stop right there. You are not "entitled" to it.

[doodad]

and why they don’t outlaw it.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Every time the federal government mentions a new tax, it should start up the debate about repealing the 16th Amendment, the Income Tax, and replacing it with a simple, single tax, that outside of international tariffs, would be the federal government’s sole source of income.

With very strict controls on the ability of the federal government to issue bonds or other debt.

No exemptions, no fees, no licenses, no “sin taxes”, no VAT, no withholding, no other source of money for the federal government.

Since the individual States do much of the what the federal government demands of them, they should get the money to do it with directly. And if they don’t want to do it, then their senators should stand against it.

And I mean “their” senators, which means the repeal of the 17th Amendment, the Direct Election of Senators, which was a sneaky, faux democratic way, of preventing the States from protecting their citizens, from the federal government.

[kingu]

What a junk article. Supposedly Chicago is not getting to tax 75% of the cigarettes smoked in the city, but this technology does nothing to fix it. They know if retailers or individuals are now paying the city tax by the presence or absence of the city tax stamp. In this system, to check this simple thing would require an 800 dollar scanner, which only enforces at the retailer level.

More pimping of foreign companies with technology that actually goes backwards, making it harder on the city to enforce taxes that I think are unconstitutional.

[mrsmith]

Me too!

I also grew three plants this year as an experiment.
It was easy and they’re terrific. Not even cured really, just dried!

Next year ten plants!

[EGPWS]

Chicago loses an estimated $120 million a year — and the U.S. billions — on uncollected taxes on cigarettes.

Chicago smokers keep 120 million more of their hard earned labor.

[EGPWS]

Why tax a person’s habit?

A socialist:

Because it's there and we can.