3 ms·

I have a relative who lives in Connecticut and was telling me he got an email from New Egg with three years worth of purchase history on it and a notice saying

by throwaway2016a 9y ago

I have a relative who lives in Connecticut and was telling me he got an email from New Egg with three years worth of purchase history on it and a notice saying that they would be sending a copy to the state. Starting to collect new taxes is one thing but collecting back taxes for three years just doesn't seem right. This isn't behavior CT invented, though. I live in New Hampshire (that has no sales tax) and would often hear stories of Massachusetts state police camping out at the border doing spot checks to make sure people paid their taxes. No idea if they were "boogey man" stories or real though. The sales tax system in the US is horribly complex. That's why while companies have popped up to help online retailers navigate it.

bsg75 9y ago
If those troopers are the same state police who are primarily charged with traffic enforcement and public safety, using them as revenue agents sure seems like a misuse of public resources. I wonder if they collect enough tax revenue to cover salary.
- tlrobinson 9y ago
  > misuse of public resources Is it still misuse if it’s net positive for the state?
  - bsg75 9y ago
    I guess it depends on perspective, and how the net is measured. If net positive _revenue_, and your perspective is stage budget (or you benefit from state funding) its a win. If the net is a calculation of revenue, public safety, and overall community, maybe not. Troopers are generally traffic and criminal law enforcement agents - public safety. Tax law enforcement may be the jurisdiction of state police in that region, but its rare to use patrol to enforce those laws. There is typically a division specific to revenue. Taking focus from patrol away from the enforcement of criminal and traffic laws and pivoting that to securing the state budget would be considered by many to be a misuse. If troopers are looking for unpaid taxes, who is looking for reckless or drunk drivers? Who is conducting area patrols where visibility is a much a crime deterrent as actual arrests? What probable cause is used to stop any car at the state border and look at receipts? Traffic violations do not provide for vehicle searches, and IIRC there are no dogs that sniff out undocumented expensed. Such divisions in jurisdiction are in place so that the "long arm of the law" does not get too long.
- throwaway2016a 9y ago
  To restate my disclaimer: > No idea if they were "boogey man" stories or real though. It may very well be a tall tale designed to scare people into filing their sales tax payments. And/or shopping in state because the net gain for shopping in New Hampshire would be $0.
icebraining 9y ago
It doesn't seem to be a new tax.
- throwaway2016a 9y ago
  It's not. But an otherwise law abiding citizen who doesn't realize they are supposed to file will suddenly get a tax bill that could be hundreds of dollars. The law is very complicated and filing the payment is not straight forward. And while many people I know understand it fully, I don't expect everyone to. Edit: I see the confusion. When I said "new tax" I meant, taxes on orders that happen after they started aggressively enforcing the rules. I.e. no back dating.
  - icebraining 9y ago
    I'm not sure how it works in the US, but here in a situation like this, and assuming it's a significant amount relative your income, you'd ask for a payment plan.

bsg75 9y ago

If those troopers are the same state police who are primarily charged with traffic enforcement and public safety, using them as revenue agents sure seems like a misuse of public resources. I wonder if they collect enough tax revenue to cover salary.

tlrobinson 9y ago
> misuse of public resources Is it still misuse if it’s net positive for the state?
- bsg75 9y ago
  I guess it depends on perspective, and how the net is measured. If net positive _revenue_, and your perspective is stage budget (or you benefit from state funding) its a win. If the net is a calculation of revenue, public safety, and overall community, maybe not. Troopers are generally traffic and criminal law enforcement agents - public safety. Tax law enforcement may be the jurisdiction of state police in that region, but its rare to use patrol to enforce those laws. There is typically a division specific to revenue. Taking focus from patrol away from the enforcement of criminal and traffic laws and pivoting that to securing the state budget would be considered by many to be a misuse. If troopers are looking for unpaid taxes, who is looking for reckless or drunk drivers? Who is conducting area patrols where visibility is a much a crime deterrent as actual arrests? What probable cause is used to stop any car at the state border and look at receipts? Traffic violations do not provide for vehicle searches, and IIRC there are no dogs that sniff out undocumented expensed. Such divisions in jurisdiction are in place so that the "long arm of the law" does not get too long.
throwaway2016a 9y ago
To restate my disclaimer: > No idea if they were "boogey man" stories or real though. It may very well be a tall tale designed to scare people into filing their sales tax payments. And/or shopping in state because the net gain for shopping in New Hampshire would be $0.

icebraining 9y ago

It doesn't seem to be a new tax.

throwaway2016a 9y ago
It's not. But an otherwise law abiding citizen who doesn't realize they are supposed to file will suddenly get a tax bill that could be hundreds of dollars. The law is very complicated and filing the payment is not straight forward. And while many people I know understand it fully, I don't expect everyone to. Edit: I see the confusion. When I said "new tax" I meant, taxes on orders that happen after they started aggressively enforcing the rules. I.e. no back dating.
- icebraining 9y ago
  I'm not sure how it works in the US, but here in a situation like this, and assuming it's a significant amount relative your income, you'd ask for a payment plan.