New York smokes out cigarette tax cheats

[moshquerade]

if i can make it there
i'll make it anywhere
it's up to you
New York
New York

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: AmericasTeam
The article also mentions that cigs cost $7 a pack in NY. Thats just crazy.

Not really, should be more.

Because, of course, levying taxes to enforce your own version of morality is the best way to do things. :disgust:

This is about one thing: money. The City of New York makes a sh!tload off the taxes on tobacco - they more than double the price of a pack there just raking money of off smokers. And the non-smokers on their moral pedastals will let it happen, and even enourage it. Although a smoker can hardly find a place indoors for a cigarette anymore, non-smokers still insist on making every bar and restaurant completely smoke-free - seperate sections aren't enough anymore. If the city put the same taxes on alcohol (a known poison), you can bet the reaction to this would be a hell of a lot different.

This has, quite honestly, become ridiculous. I've been a smoker for the past 2.5 years (quit very recently, last cig was 6 days ago after weening myself down over a month), and I'll be the first to admit that its bad for you and annoying to others in crowded public places. But people do things every day that are bad for them... as I've said before in other smoking posts, you could get on the same soapbox in Wendy's and yell at everyone for clogging their arteries and not going to Subway instead. No one likes to have someone else's idea of morality imposed on them.

As for bothering others, this is why we have "no smoking" sections. Even as a smoker, there were times I didn't want to be around cigarettes, and I always had that option. And come on, no one ever complains about smoking in a bar... hell, when Delaware enacted a strict no indoor smoking policy, it absolutely killed the bars in the state.

Sure you can do other things that are bad for yourself but with smoking you affect others through second hand smoke.

 

[Ausm]

Glad I stopped smoking....


Ausm

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: agnitrate
How does the government have any right to tax internet purchases unless the vendor was in the same state as the buyer?

-silver

They dont. Basically they're just pissed that they're not getting enough money anymore from cigarette taxes now that people have found the Interweb.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog

Sure you can do other things that are bad for yourself but with smoking you affect others through second hand smoke.

You pump out far more carcinogens when you drive a car or truck for a mile than a smoker does in a week.

This second hand smoke hype is really amazing to me. The fact that people use this hype to rob others of their freedoms is even more amazing.

But, like I said, no one cries until it's their bull getting gored.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: agnitrate
How does the government have any right to tax internet purchases unless the vendor was in the same state as the buyer?

-silver

They dont. Basically they're just pissed that they're not getting enough money anymore from cigarette taxes now that people have found the Interweb.

You need to read my above post. Every state I know of has a law dictating you must report all mail order purchases and pay sales tax on them.

Just because no one does it does not mean it isn't a law.

Just wait until they start getting customer lists from all Internet sales sites.

 

[MrBond]

Just wait until they start getting customer lists from all Internet sales sites.

With most stats being broke, I would be very surprised if this didn't happen this year or next. This thing in NY is going to make other states see what they're missing out on and they'll probably do the same thing. Then someone will have the bright idea to go after online retailers and their sales records. I very rarely get charged tax at Amazon, never at Newegg, most other online places do charge me sales tax though.

 

[shenaniganz]

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: virtuamike
Not good. Can you imagine the legal precedence this sets for other internet sales?

Anyone with law knowledge in here to provide some insight? Sounds to me like the NY Dept of Finance is just bullying people into paying up.

Yeah as unsympathetic as I am to smokers, they should not be forced to pay this ridiculous tax. There was no warning of it prior to it at all it seems..

I've never heard of anything like this before either. I realize that if I buy a car out of state I have to pay my home state's sales tax--but cigarettes?? If I buy a pack of bubble gum in Montana (my original home state--no sales tax) I had no idea that I had to pay my home state's sales tax on it.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: DoggiedogSure you can do other things that are bad for yourself but with smoking you affect others through second hand smoke.

Cite your source for that fallacious assertion!

Cmon, I darre you.

The WHO study? Debunked
The EPA study? Fabricated.

Move along now...

 

[Kelemvor]

$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

 

[royaldank]

This is bad for everyone. Smoker and non-smokers should realize this is just the beginning. Soon, you might be forced to pay tax on everything you buy online. While legally you're supposed to now, it's not enforced. That could change when a couple states successfully pass stuff like this.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: DoggiedogSure you can do other things that are bad for yourself but with smoking you affect others through second hand smoke.

Cite your source for that fallacious assertion!

Cmon, I darre you.

The WHO study? Debunked
The EPA study? Fabricated.

Move along now...

Actually, the funniest part is the last WHO study showed insignificant health effects from ETS and has been repeated by the vast majority of studies. What did WHO do? They denounced their own study! LMAO!!!

ETS is no longer science, it is a religion. And anyone who questions the myth that it causes mass harm is a heretic.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

It's awesome, until something you enjoy is considered "sinful" and you are financially ass raped when buying it.

Like I keep saying, no one cries until it's their bull getting gored.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

vice taxes are bullsht

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

Great idea!

Let's tax masturbation, neffing & caffiene too!

 

[Nitemare]

I'd wipe my ass with the bill. NY doesn't have a pot to piss in. There is no way they can collect state sales tax on purchases made in other states.

Virginia could collect if it wanted to though...

When I was smoking, I could pick up a whole carton of Marlboro Reds for 5 bucks from the Px

 

[Lucky]

"If you have a bill for $10,000 for cigarette taxes, you're a dealer, you're not just smoking."


Says mayor bloomberg.

I says that's bullsh!t. You could easily have a tax bill in the thousands from cigarette taxes over 2 years and not be a dealer. Says you are a heavy smoker, or are buying cigarettes to be used communally in a relationship. 3 packs a day would give you a tax bill of nearly $7000. 4 packs would put you right up against that magical "dealer" status.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
I'd wipe my ass with the bill. NY doesn't have a pot to piss in. There is no way they can collect state sales tax on purchases made in other states.

You're right, they can't collect sales taxes on purchases made elsewhere. However, the states have a "use tax" which IS in effect, and IS enforceable, that applies to such purchases.

 

[Hammer]

Originally posted by: slick230
What's the difference if the bought their coffin nails online or drove to Virginia with a U-Haul and came back with it full of cartons? Would NY still try to come after them in the second scenario? That's pretty fvcking retarded.

actually, that's illegal (he uhaul thing). it's smuggling. the mob did this for cash in NY/NJ. they used semis though and it was more than 1 truck-full.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
I'd wipe my ass with the bill. NY doesn't have a pot to piss in. There is no way they can collect state sales tax on purchases made in other states.

Actually, that is incorrect.

Companies are only required to collect tax if they have a business presence in the state, but the tax is still due. You the consumer are obligated to keep track & remit payment.

Viper GTS

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

It's awesome, until something you enjoy is considered "sinful" and you are financially ass raped when buying it.

Like I keep saying, no one cries until it's their bull getting gored.

Perhaps they're too blinded by their own shining moral lights of purity and correctness to see the wisdom of what you say.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

It's awesome, until something you enjoy is considered "sinful" and you are financially ass raped when buying it.

Like I keep saying, no one cries until it's their bull getting gored.

Perhaps they're too blinded by their own shining moral lights of purity and correctness to see the wisdom of what you say.

Yep. And what is sad is that they are just as bad as the fundie religionists they always oppose.

The hypocrisy is astounding, to say the least.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: kranky

Originally posted by: Nitemare
I'd wipe my ass with the bill. NY doesn't have a pot to piss in. There is no way they can collect state sales tax on purchases made in other states.

You're right, they can't collect sales taxes on purchases made elsewhere. However, the states have a "use tax" which IS in effect, and IS enforceable, that applies to such purchases.

Isn't double taxation illegal? I'd rather pay the sales tax to another state and fvck over NY for being such a little sneaky and underhanded beyotch

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
$7 a pack is not crazy, it's great. Getting lots of money to fund things by tax'ing things no one should be doing anyway. That's great. Anyone is free to stop smoking at any time if they want to. If they choose to, then they can pay for it.

That is awesome! Go New York!

Great idea!

Let's tax masturbation, neffing & caffiene too!

Don't forget food high in sugar and junk food. Let's make everyone eat veggies! Yay, NY!

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: virtuamike
Not good. Can you imagine the legal precedence this sets for other internet sales?

Anyone with law knowledge in here to provide some insight? Sounds to me like the NY Dept of Finance is just bullying people into paying up.

yea. i agree with this not being good.

what about electronics that we sometimes buy out of state to avoid taxes (especially when there's free shipping). should we have to pay taxes on those items as well?