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Cigarette tax law

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Rodroma777

Junior Member
We are from Illinois. We received a bunch of letters from the Illinois Dept of Revenue stating that we owe a lot of money in taxes for cigarettes we purchased on the internet. We don't know what to do about this. This was all quite a shock to us. Who do we contact? We don't have enough money to pay these taxes. :( It totals to thousand of dollars. Can we pay this a little at a time. is there an Attorney that can help us that won't charge an arm and a leg? Please help!
 
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judy2304

Junior Member
Illinois Cigarette Use Tax

My husband and I also each received packets that included a pile of invoices for this tax that include not only the tax amount but late fees and interest for 3 years of purchases. We would pay the tax due, but we feel that the interest and late fees are unconstitutional. If we have to, we plan to get a lawyer to fight this. I'm sure that there are quite a few others that have received similar bills. :(
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Rodroma777 said:
We are from Illinois. We received a bunch of letters from the Illinois Dept of Revenue stating that we owe a lot of money in taxes for cigarettes we purchased on the internet. We don't know what to do about this. This was all quite a shock to us. Who do we contact? We don't have enough money to pay these taxes. :( It totals to thousand of dollars. Can we pay this a little at a time. is there an Attorney that can help us that won't charge an arm and a leg? Please help!
How does IL know that you made those purchases?
 

anteater

Senior Member
LdiJ said:
How does IL know that you made those purchases?
There is a federal law callled the Jenkins Act that requires vendors who sell and ship smokes across state lines to report purchases to the respective state taxing authorities. Most internet vendors don't have the foggiest idea that this Act exists until a state sends a letter asking for records of purchases made by the state's residents. Then the notices start to go out to the purchasers to pony up the taxes and the fur starts to fly.

......but we feel that the interest and late fees are unconstitutional
Uh, I hardly think that penalties and interest rise to a consitutional issue. Better to do some grovelling before the Dept. of Revenue asking for mercy.
 

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