| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Illinois revenoors hassle elderly couple over using veggie oil in their car |
| 2007-03-16 |
Agents from the Illinois Department of Revenue visited David & Eileen Wetzel on Jan. 4. The agents informed the Wetzels that they were interested in their car, a 1986 Volkswagen Golf, that David Wetzel converted to run primarily from vegetable oil but also partly on diesel. YJCMTSU |
| Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418 |
| #25 assuming you could make a mass-production car run on hydrogen, would they levy all sources of water? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-16 19:37 |
| #24 Go listen to The Beatles' song "The Taxman". The State will have their pound of flesh. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-03-16 16:59 |
| #23 #22 AP: "These people are small potatoes, so is it a control thing?" Well, yeah. Duh. It's the tax guys. If they could figure out how to tax breathing, they'd do it. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-03-16 16:03 |
| #22 So how did the Illinois Department of These people are small potatoes, so is it a control thing, or what? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-03-16 15:10 |
| #21 Car and truck fuel taxes are collected transparently at the pump. The Wetzel's didn't avoid paying taxes, they didn't need a pump. Case closed. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-03-16 15:00 |
| #20 I was expecting this to pop up on some state's 'lost revenue' screen, since more people are modifying their cars to run on vegetable oil. taxes on fuels pay for most of the road work and to avoid that is to my way of thinking a bit wrong. farmers can get exemptions for fuel used on the farm, but it is usually dyed so if they get their tanks dipped on the highway, they could be in trouble. related taxation article: WA state is going after internet cigarette buyers for unpaid taxes; several have had pay garinshied (sic). |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-03-16 14:52 |
| #19 Wetzel uses recycled vegetable oil, which he picks up weekly from an organization that uses it for frying food at its dining facility. So this "organization" provided the "special fuel" to the Wetzels without some sort of fuel provider license and retail tax collection process? Apparently, giving away used vegetable oil for use as an energy source without registering as a "special fuel supplier" is illegal in Illinois. |
| Posted by: mrp 2007-03-16 14:15 |
| #18 I lived for almost 10 years in Illinois, they have a license for EVERYTHING. And the accompanying fee of course. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-03-16 12:16 |
| #17 entitled... |
| Posted by: Thenter Sheager5972 2007-03-16 11:29 |
| #16 that's what you get in a BLUE state, the state is entitles to ALL your income, you GET to keep what they deem acceptable. |
| Posted by: Thenter Sheager5972 2007-03-16 11:28 |
| #15 Watch out for the Illinois Tobacco and Alcohol Commission all you illegal home brewers and wine makers. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-03-16 09:48 |
| #14 Where's Al Gore, GreenPeace, and the Sierra Club? I figured they would have been all over this story. This has Green persecution over it. They could always start their own religion. Call it the Greenies for example. Don't religious groups get some kind of taxation protection? The IRS has too much time on their hands and need to spend less time shaking people down for spare change. Go after the terrorists sponsors in the U.S. who are cheating the tax system to fund their terrorist groups. These people are on a fixed income; give them a break for cripes sakes. What a bunch of hooha's in the Dep't of Revenue. |
| Posted by: Delphi2005 2007-03-16 09:44 |
| #13 It's gonna get interesting when cars begin to be powered by electricity. Expect a mileage tax and mandatory GPS to record travel. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-03-16 09:16 |
| #12 And they also need permits and inspections for 'Hazardous Waste Incineration'. Oh, and transportation. I'm sure they can come up with other opportunities to regulate, tax and hassle, if they try a little harder. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-03-16 08:51 |
| #11 Collecting a tax for highway construction in one thing. Requiring him to get a license as a special fuel producer and receiver and post a bond for using his own fuel is pure bureaucratic bullying on the part of the Department of Revenue. Sounds to me someone should be fired and their wages used to post this 'bond'.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2007-03-16 08:24 |
| #10 That would be the hybrid cars they just voted to subsidize, or give special privileges to, of course. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-03-16 07:51 |
| #9 There have been sporadic reports of local gov'ts panicking when their fuel tax receipts drop due to 'too many hybrid cars' using not nearly enough taxable gas... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-03-16 07:42 |
| #8 I agree any state has a valid interest in collecting highway fuel taxes for maintenance of public roads, but the laws as written don't quite apply to used vegetable oil. The state revenue people should have turned the issue over to the state legislature right off, instead of singling out an individual. This issue could arise at any time in other states which have fuel tax laws similar to Illinois. I'm surprised it hasn't already. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-03-16 07:12 |
| #7 Wetzel produced records showing he has used 1,134.6 gallons of vegetable oil from 2002 to 2006. At the higher rate, the tax bill would come to $244.24. "That averages out to $4.07 a month," Wetzel noted, adding he is willing to pay that bill. But the Wetzels would discover that the state had more complicated and costly requirements for them to continue to use their "veggie mobile." David Wetzel was told to contact a revenue official and apply for a license as a "special fuel supplier" and "receiver." After completing a complicated application form designed for businesses, David Wetzel was sent a letter directing him to send in a $2,500 bond. Eileen Wetzel calculated that the bond, designed to ensure that their "business" pays its taxes, would cover the next 51 years at their present usage rate. Now that's good government! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-03-16 06:40 |
| #6 Doesn't getting some use out of used cooking oil count? In any case, don't make it retroactive and I think everyone will be equally upset. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-03-16 05:34 |
| #5 It's Illinois, so I am guessing it's just some Democrats out looking to get a bribe to leave him alone. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2007-03-16 05:27 |
| #4 EboregOnhzna, I would agree under condition that the taxpayer has a right to decide to what purpose his tax is allocated. If it goes 100% towards roads maintenace, fine (IDR should provide a proof and be liable to independent audit). If not, not so fine. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-03-16 04:51 |
| #3 While I am very much of a small government, low taxes nature, I am going to argue in the governments favor on this one. To a large extent, automobile and truck fuel taxes go directly to road construction and maintainence. Further, the more a individual drives and the larger and heavier their vehicle is, the more they pay for the roads. Which is how I think it should be. |
| Posted by: EboregOnhzna 2007-03-16 00:55 |
| #2 As with a mother bear and her cubs, it is most dangerous to come between the State and money it regards as its rightful due. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-03-16 00:31 |
| #1 Taxtrons are Unauthorized to leave The Grid. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-03-16 00:08 |