Online Cigarette Customers Get Bill from State

wakebrdr writes "The Michigan Treasury Department has sent bills to state residents who purchased cigarettes online to avoid Michigan's high taxes. One pack-a-day smoker received a bill for $2,500 in back taxes. If a simple subpoena of customer data allows them to easily go after lost cigarette taxes, how long until state treasuries across the country subpoena Amazon.com or other big online retailers to collect unpaid sales taxes?"

We're doomed...

[Anonymous Coward]

if they decide to tax porn...

How long?

[Binestar]

how long until state treasuries across the country subpoena Amazon.com or other big online retailers to collect unpaid sales taxes?

18 months. You heard it here.

Of course not!

[serith]

State - Did you make any online purchases this year? You - *fills in no whilst using your new uber computer you just dropped a few K on from newegg...*

Yeesh, what a complicated system!

[Jack Taylor]

Thank goodness all you have to do in the U.K. to avoid paying tax on something is to buy it abroad and hide it under your hat while going through customs...

Re:We're doomed...

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, we could probably eliminate the income tax and the IRS. :)

Re:We're doomed...

[bsharitt]

Who here is actually going to pay for online porn?

Re:We're doomed...

[crunk]

Doomed? Congrats, you just solved the social security crisis.

Re:Violation of Smokers' Rights

[Binestar]

they dont cause cancer, they reduce the immune systems ability to fight it off.

Getting shot in the head doesn't kill you, it reduces your body's ability to keep your brains inside your skull.

Re:Already pay taxes on Amazon...

[Anonymous Coward]

Unfortunately, Amazon decided to put a warehouse in western Kansas, so now I get to pay taxes on all my Amazon purchases anyways. Has anyone else had similar bad luck??

No, sorry - nobody else here is unfortunate enough to live in western Kansas

Re:We're doomed...

[ceeam]

Those who pay for slashdot? : )

[Remember folks - asterisk after one's UID marks a paying subscriber]

Re:Can you say VAT

[Mantorp]

Harmonized Sales Tax
I feel calmer just thinking about paying this.

Re:How long?

[gosand]

Naaaah. Smokes are just low hanging juicy fruit that people think is bad so it's okay to take said juicy, juicy fruit. Mmmmmmm....taxes.

What a missed opportunity at a Simpson's reference. Mmmm.... low hanging juicy fruit. [wired.com]

Re:We're doomed...

[bob670]

My grandpa always said "Why buy the cow if you can get the sex for free?". Of course, grampa Ballmer died frightened and alone with his only child Steve. He was sooo proud when Steve got in to Harvard, first half-man/half-bovine to complete the admission process.