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Holy smokes: State sends Pleasant Hill man hefty cigarette tax bill
Contra Costa Times ^ | 8/28/11 | Lisa P. White

Posted on 08/28/2011 3:11:07 PM PDT by SmithL

PLEASANT HILL -- To get a good deal, Paul Brodman used to buy cigarettes online.

Little did he know, those smokes weren't the bargain they appeared to be. There's no getting out of paying state taxes simply by buying cigarettes online.

Earlier this month, Brodman received a bill for $1,398 from the State Board of Equalization for back taxes and penalties he owes for 100 cartons of cigarettes he bought online from an out-of-state retailer in 2007 and 2008. Initially, Brodman thought it was a mistake.

"We smoked them; we didn't resell them," he said. "I wasn't selling them on the corner."

When he bought cigarettes online, Brodman should have paid the state an excise tax of 87 cents per pack, plus a use tax of 8.25 percent on the total purchase amount.

"We know that people make purchases out of state and online looking for a deal, and they know they're getting away with something, or they should know they're getting away with something," said Anita Gore, spokeswoman for the State Board of Equalization. "It is the law that these taxes be paid."

Brodman says he turned to the Internet because cigarettes were "substantially cheaper" than at the corner store.

One reason cigarettes are more expensive in California than in some other states is because voters have added several surtaxes to cigarettes and other tobacco products over the years. The base cigarette tax is 12 cents per pack. The additional 75-cent tax on each pack funds tobacco-related health education programs and

(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: cigarettes; goldenstate; pufflist; salestax; smoking; statesalestax; taxandspend; taxes; taxman
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To: Drango
Still waving your crazy flag high, I see.

Still having those wedgie flashbacks?

61 posted on 08/28/2011 5:27:02 PM PDT by Madame Dufarge
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To: SmithL

Gestapo Tactics?

Couple of years ago tax agents from NY were staking out
jewelry stores in Jersey City (where tax was 3% vs NY 8.25)
were taking license plates and sending threatening letters
to everyone with NY plate saying “PAY UP YOU CHEATS!”
(would owe NY state sales tax on the purchase)

Local TV station (WABC) ran report on it forcing state
to stop......


62 posted on 08/28/2011 5:34:23 PM PDT by njslim
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

“So now as far as I know, one can no longer buy tobacco products online”.

I know one woman in Maryland that received a Maryland state tax bill for thousands of dollars. She purchased cigarettes online. It is a similar situation as anyone looking for a better price. Have you ever shopped at Lowes instead of Home Depot for a better price on an item? What is frightening is that the state government received this type of information. For anyone who thinks, “well, I don’t smoke so it doesn’t affect me”... it will come to any item we purchase. Seeds, plants, Ebay purchases, furniture, etc...


63 posted on 08/28/2011 5:59:18 PM PDT by momtothree
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To: Arrowhead1952
I quit when the price of a pack went over $1.75 at the PX.

I'll show you my age. They were 17¢ a pack when I was in the military.

64 posted on 08/28/2011 6:22:02 PM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: momtothree
Have you ever shopped at Lowes instead of Home Depot for a better price

Many, many a time. But you are deliberately blurring the line between tax avoidance and tax cheating. Smart shopping is commendable. Tax cheating is NOT a conservative value even if you wrap yourself in the flag when you do it.

65 posted on 08/28/2011 6:29:51 PM PDT by Drango (NO-vember is payback for April 15th)
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To: njslim

Are they claiming that anything anyone purchases in another state is taxable by the home state, too?

Many of our founding fathers were smugglers.


66 posted on 08/28/2011 6:56:25 PM PDT by gitmo (Hatred of those who think differently is the left's unifying principle.-Ralph Peters NY Post)
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To: Graybeard58

Remember those mechanical cigarette machines where you’d put in two dimes, and there’d be three pennies under the cellophane of the cigarette pack?


67 posted on 08/28/2011 7:26:16 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: Drango

“Tax cheating is NOT a conservative value even if you wrap yourself in the flag when you do it.”

Lex mala, lex nulla.

Tax laws enacted against the will of the people have no moral force.


68 posted on 08/28/2011 7:28:50 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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To: Drango

Yes you can buy them from the indian reservations who have won a court fight. The judge ruled that the reservations can use 3rd party private shippers. Never the less some states will trace sales and bill customers for the unpaid taxes.


69 posted on 08/28/2011 8:16:47 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (John McCain is a proud Ted Kennedy conservative!)
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To: SmithL

...and another “Conservative” is made, not born.


70 posted on 08/28/2011 8:45:57 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch ("Public service" does NOT mean servicing the people, like a bull among heifers.)
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To: reformedliberal
The machine is $45.

Guess I'll have to dig the one I bought for about $5 (don't ask!) around 40 years ago out, an put it on eBay.

71 posted on 08/28/2011 9:00:10 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch ("Public service" does NOT mean servicing the people, like a bull among heifers.)
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To: ApplegateRanch
Guess I'll have to dig the one I bought for about $5

Is that the one that has a slide that crams the tobacco into the "tube"? I had one that even came with filtered cigaret tubes. I "manufactured" cigarets with half and half pipe tobacco, which were quite good. Sometimes the machine packed the tobacco so tight it would not draw--like trying to smoke a stick.

72 posted on 08/28/2011 9:11:00 PM PDT by DeFault User
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To: DeFault User

LOL That’s the one!


73 posted on 08/28/2011 10:01:51 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch ("Public service" does NOT mean servicing the people, like a bull among heifers.)
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To: DeFault User

LOL That’s the one!


74 posted on 08/28/2011 10:03:13 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch ("Public service" does NOT mean servicing the people, like a bull among heifers.)
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To: elkfersupper

I agree. He’s a statist. Social engineering via taxation.


75 posted on 08/28/2011 10:53:46 PM PDT by FrogMom (There is no such thing as an honest democrat!)
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To: SmithL
Find a good tobacco shop and roll your own....1 pound (menthol pipe tobacco) and 2 cartons of tubes =6 dollars for tubes and 14 dollars for 1 pound of tobacco= 2 cartons of smokes...been rolling my own since democrat governor taxed loose cigarette 25 dollars a bag...all you can find is pipe tobacco, but it is made by the same company that made my cigarette tobacco..

I don't think you get all the additives that they add to cigarettes also.....

76 posted on 08/29/2011 12:48:11 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: umgud

I thought the indian reversations fought that and won. The the feds started checking people from out of state that went to the reservation stores...don’t know what ever happened about that..


77 posted on 08/29/2011 12:52:47 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: elkfersupper; Drango

You are right on that. No conservative will cheer any tax. But people can fool themselves and say they are conservative....more than likely a rino. Just tax those things the rino doesn’t like.....GG


78 posted on 08/29/2011 12:56:51 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: Drango

That reply gets a good belly laugh.....


79 posted on 08/29/2011 12:58:37 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

My sister has no computer but just sends a money order to the tobacco store in another state...


80 posted on 08/29/2011 1:01:36 AM PDT by goat granny
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