medicalgreen
Member
Recently a friend who manages a collective told me that the State Board of Equalization called them on the phone to ask about their tax status and seller's permits etc. He told me it actually sounded like a mafia shakedown. The lady demanded to know if the collective had a seller's permit, because she could not locate it on file. Now the strange part of this is the fact that the collective has been advised by a prominent attorney who helped draft prop. 215, that no business license or seller's permits are required, since sales are illegal in the state of California. He is an extremely well respected attorney and he believes sincerely that the paperwork helps implicate you in crimes.
Well, apparently this lady insisted that anyone who dispenses cannabis in California needs to pay sales tax and the collective is liable. She then insisted on getting an address to send a bill to. Well, I asked him how does she know how much to bill you and he told me "who knows?, we don't have a business license or a seller's permit, so I don't know how they can figure out how much we owe".
So my question to folks here is this.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? &
Why are they calling cannabis businesses directly? Do they also call all the dry cleaners in the city to see if they are operating with proper permits? or how about the illegal immigrants and their taco carts? Do they call each of them to ask if they have seller's permits, even though they issued them licenses when they aren't even legal citizens?
Does this sound like a mafia style shakedown of the cannabis clubs or what?
It sounds to me like the State Board of Equalization knows that everyone is committing illegal acts by selling cannabis so they can use intimidation to extort funds for something they have no right to collect legally.
My friend told them they do not engage in sales, and she insisted, "Oh yes you do!". To which he replied, "Oh no we don't", and she insisted again, Oh yes you do", in a sly hinting and pushing type tone in her voice....
Can you people believe this is actually happening?
Then he told her she is making a legal determination and she replied, "That's right, i am".
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Any thoughts?
Well, apparently this lady insisted that anyone who dispenses cannabis in California needs to pay sales tax and the collective is liable. She then insisted on getting an address to send a bill to. Well, I asked him how does she know how much to bill you and he told me "who knows?, we don't have a business license or a seller's permit, so I don't know how they can figure out how much we owe".
So my question to folks here is this.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? &
Why are they calling cannabis businesses directly? Do they also call all the dry cleaners in the city to see if they are operating with proper permits? or how about the illegal immigrants and their taco carts? Do they call each of them to ask if they have seller's permits, even though they issued them licenses when they aren't even legal citizens?
Does this sound like a mafia style shakedown of the cannabis clubs or what?
It sounds to me like the State Board of Equalization knows that everyone is committing illegal acts by selling cannabis so they can use intimidation to extort funds for something they have no right to collect legally.
My friend told them they do not engage in sales, and she insisted, "Oh yes you do!". To which he replied, "Oh no we don't", and she insisted again, Oh yes you do", in a sly hinting and pushing type tone in her voice....
Can you people believe this is actually happening?
Then he told her she is making a legal determination and she replied, "That's right, i am".
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Any thoughts?