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Tax-Shaming Has Become Quite the Popular Thing

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

So you're an egregious tax delinquent. You're not necessarily proud of that fact but you know, these things happen and your intention is to make things right…just after you rob a bank or something. Well perhaps you should come up with that plan fast, lest you end up a victim of the latest craze in state revenue generation methods: 

Welcome to cyber-shaming, the public listing of individuals and companies who don't pay their taxes. The practice is gaining popularity as states struggle to find revenue in a weak economy. New York, New Jersey, Nebraska and Oklahoma in the past three years have joined the ranks of the roughly 30 states that publish "shame lists." The phenomenon gained ground globally in January when Greece, in severe financial distress, decided to publish its list of top tax delinquents. […] Compared with other measures, like raising taxes, cyber-shaming has proved a relatively noncontroversial way for strapped states to raise money. 

Most times you'd be thrilled to be on the same list as Pamela Anderson. This would not be one of those times.

Amex, Cantor Fitzgerald And Pamela Anderson Land On Cyber-Shame Lists Of Tax Delinquents [HP via TaxProf]

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SOMEHOW it doesn’t make sense to David Brunori:

So if you are doing 25 to life in Jackson (which I think is the state penitentiary) and you buy some toothpaste from the commissary you would pay the sales tax. I have questions for Rep. Forlini. What the heck motivated you to propose this legislation? Are there not more pressing issues facing the state of Michigan? Are you motivated by sound tax policy? Are you just mad because bad guys are buying stuff tax free when you have to pay sales tax?

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