The bureaucratic impotence of this country and state governments in particular like that in IL, continue to amaze me….
Here’s a story where Yehuda Berlinger points us to the bureaucratic insanity faced by a retired couple in Illinois who simply want to drive their vegetable oil-fueled car, but now face huge fines and possible felony charges for doing so. The details sound like they’re right out of a bad movie. They’ve owned the car for while and they fuel it up using leftover restaurant cooking oil. However, earlier this year, two officials knocked on their door from the Illinois Department of Revenue, telling the couple that they were violating the law by not paying an additional motor fuel tax. The couple did the calculations on how much tax they needed to pay, and while annoying, it wasn’t outrageous. However, in order to pay, they first needed to get approved for a license as a “special fuel supplier” or “receiver.” Except… the process to become approved for such a license requires a $2,500 bond, and the forms are designed for businesses not individuals. The couple then received a letter saying they needed to stop being a special fuel supplier or receiver until they were licensed to be such — but the details of how you qualify to be either a special fuel receive or supplier showed that they qualified as neither. Yet, the state still insisted that they had to get such a license, because otherwise they had no way to collect the tax. They then noted that operating as a special fuel supplier or receiver without the necessary license was a felony…*
I find it incredible that the government would send 2 revenue officers to this couple’s home to collect what amounts to be $4.07 a month for 10 months = ~$400. And then force them to continue to pay this fee AND pay a $2500 bond for a receivers license they don’t even qualify for in the first place.
This kind of action goes completely against a statement we just heard a few months ago from the President that we as a country should look at incentives and alternatives to our oil addition. Certainly burning french fry oil waste is an alternative.
I suppose there’s no way for gasoline users to recoup the motor fuel tax when said fuel is not used for motor vehicles either… reverse discrimination in deed.
If I may make a suggestion, as it doesn’t seem to me there’s a clear legal precedent here then the government should forgo the collections of this tax until a simplified process has been implemented. I mean, isn’t their motto: “Make life less taxing”
*Source : Fines And Felony Charges For Letting Your Car Run On Restaurant Vegetable Oil? [TechDirt]