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by Janbo
on Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:06 pm |
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Back in 2005, I ordered from New York "reservation" stores owned by BUY CHEAP CIGARETTES and SMART SMOKER. I am a resident of Pennsylvania.
In early 2009, I received an excise tax form the State of PA's Dept. of Revenue which listed the number of cartons (reported by the sellers) that I had purchased and (supposedly) when they were purchased but not the amount paid.
Anyway, the form indicated I'd purchased 23 cartons in three weeks (going by their dates) which was a bit amusing since I don't think it is humanly possible to consume that many cigarettes in such a short amount of time...and I wasn't giving or selling them to others.
They also sent along a chart for me to figure out how much "use tax" plus "excise tax" plus "interest" I owed them... which is SO annoying. I also was informed that my penalty charges will be funding the medical bills (not of smokers) of someone else's kids.
From my phone experience with PA's Dept. of Revenue, I discovered they use $15.00 per carton as the base cost if you are unsure how much you paid for your smokes.
Since a close friend in another PA county just got the same notice, my case isn't an isolated one, sad to say.
The Gov. and his buddies just hit smokers with yet another increase in taxes on cigarettes and all types of tobacco products. Pennsylvania may be laying off employees in this economy but they sure aren't sacking the ones in the Dept. of Revenue! |
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Janbo
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by Jay
on Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:26 pm |
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Smart Smoker is the only smoke shop I've come across (so far) where they specifically say on their site "We DO report orders."
The fact they say on their site they report orders is enough to turn me off from em. I dunno if you thought of finding a lawyer to help your back taxes case. |
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Jay
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Location: Chicago
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by Janbo
on Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:03 pm |
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Jay wrote: Smart Smoker is the only smoke shop I've come across (so far) where they specifically say on their site "We DO report orders."
The fact they say on their site they report orders is enough to turn me off from em. I dunno if you thought of finding a lawyer to help your back taxes case.
Thanks for your reply, Jay!
Back in early 2005, I may have ordered from SmartSmoker, but am almost certain there was no disclaimer about reporting taxes to the resident state (such as PA) at that time, since that is an obvious turn-off for just about anyone. The problem with online dealers is that these companies have more offshoot sub-companies than an octopus.
According to the following PDF report, here is why SmartSmokes capitulated to reporting purchasers to the state of residences.
http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/research/papers/SAN08-07.pdf (page 10)
In a judgement dated in July 2005, the State of Washington won a lawsuit against SmartSmoker in US District Court forcing them to reveal the names and addresses of purchasers to the purchasers' resident states. Though SmartSmokes was owned and operated by a member of the Seneca tribe, they didn't appeal and complied.
Because, my purchases occured after the case was filed but before the case was won by the States, that may be why 2005 was the earliest date PA went after the Seneca smoke shops.
I did debate whether or not to see a lawyer but a friend of mine (who also got the same notice) said her lawyer-friend told her it would be cheaper to pay the tax & interest than to challenge it in court. Since my bill was less than hers, my husband felt it wouldn't be worth the expense: especially since his company is closing - which really cuts into our $$$$.
Oh well... now PA is after the MYO and RYO group, as well as the cigar smokers. Once this cash cow has mooed its very last, they'll have to institute some other "sin tax" to support their spending.
Maybe "growing you own" will soon mean tobacco.  |
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Janbo
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by Jay
on Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:27 am |
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I believe that's the same way the liars at Esmokes ended up reporting my orders from them (dating back to 1999 til 2004) to the folks in my home state. Esmokes must've been sued and forced to cough up the names and addresses of all of their customers in eitha '04 or '05.
I haven't paid a dime on my back tax bills (which I received in late 2005), and til IL decides to send me a "reminder letta" on the bills, I won't pay crap. I haven't heard anythang new on those bills in 3 years now actually.
I was forced to stop shopping at Esmokes, not cause of the bills, but cause I learned they could no longa deliver tobacco products to any IL residence. I read those words on their site in Sep 2004, a lil bit more than a year before I received the back tax bills.
Well that's one way to make an online smoke shop release the info of all of their customers to the customers' respective home states. A lawsuit will force the shop to show the (supposedly) private info to authorities.
I gotta find a place to grow tobacco at before I look into that topic. hee hee |
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Jay
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by CEO Mike
on Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:08 pm |
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| Consider buying your cigarettes from my company, CIG. We never report, we don't keep customers' names, and we never cooperate with any government agency (you'd be amazed at the things you can put into articles of incorporation here in Florida). E-mail me at capulusceomike@verizon.net |
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CEO Mike
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by gilster
on Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:33 pm |
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| Consider buying advertising on this site. |
Last edited by gilster on Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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gilster
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
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Posts: 1298
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by Janbo
on Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:42 am |
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Jay wrote: I believe that's the same way the liars at Esmokes ended up reporting my orders from them (dating back to 1999 til 2004) to the folks in my home state. Esmokes must've been sued and forced to cough up the names and addresses of all of their customers in eitha '04 or '05.
I haven't paid a dime on my back tax bills (which I received in late 2005), and til IL decides to send me a "reminder letta" on the bills, I won't pay crap. I haven't heard anythang new on those bills in 3 years now actually.
I was forced to stop shopping at Esmokes, not cause of the bills, but cause I learned they could no longa deliver tobacco products to any IL residence. I read those words on their site in Sep 2004, a lil bit more than a year before I received the back tax bills.
Well that's one way to make an online smoke shop release the info of all of their customers to the customers' respective home states. A lawsuit will force the shop to show the (supposedly) private info to authorities.
I gotta find a place to grow tobacco at before I look into that topic. hee hee
__________________________________________
1999 to 2004? E-Smokes? Yikes! Now THAT is going back quite a few years.
Here is something else that was interesting. After getting the cigarette tax notice from the State in January, we also discovered that the Dept. of Revenue was going through our past state income tax returns, looking for discrepancies. They decided we owe them $ 55.00 for 2007. The timing may be a coincidence... but being that both notices came from the same department, you have to wonder. |
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Janbo
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by CEO Mike
on Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:51 am |
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Gilster:
I see you found my incorporation information. I'm impressed. 
Who has an angle? I run an investment company here in Venice, Florida that's expanding into a new market.
I'm curious about you, Gilster. Tell me: what's your angle? |
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CEO Mike
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by gilster
on Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:28 pm |
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CEO Mike, I'm always curious of people who advertise on free sites like this and others whom solicit customers by posting e-mail addresses to fictitious companies.
No need to be curious about me - I'm not selling anything here.
Just curious as to what you are phishing for.... |
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gilster
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by CEO Mike
on Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:13 pm |
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Gilster:
Phishing? You mean, am I after credit card or other sensitive information? No. I have no need for it. My company doesn't take credit cards anyway.
To be honest, I'm looking for customers.
As for advertising on free sites, there are quite a few online cigarette outfits getting free publicity here on this one.
Before I forget - thank you for looking up my corporate information. You now know that I'm no smuggling operation. |
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CEO Mike
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