# I can't wrap my brain around this: **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175 "2003-02-06T10:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/1 "2003-02-06T10:19:23Z")
[http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypesdrug.htm](http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypesdrug.htm) “The fact that dealing marijuana and controlled substances is illegal does not exempt it from taxation. Therefore drug dealers are required by law to purchase drug tax stamps.” Is there a pimp tax? A murder-for-hire tax? Why not? ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/2 "2003-02-06T10:36:05Z")
Are you nuts? Didn’t you see Reefer Madness? It’s obvious that the filthy weed leads to uncontrollable lust and thirst for human blood. Why, it’s the #2 scourge of the planet, right after George Bush! ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/3 "2003-02-06T10:43:00Z")
Seriously, then. Why isn’t there a “stabbed your boyfriend in the eye with a fork” tax… ? ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/4 "2003-02-06T10:58:31Z")
Earnings from illegal activities is not exempt from income tax. You are required to report all income, regardless of its source. Many, many, many people involved in illicit activities have only been caught, prosecuted, convicted and jailed for failure to declare income and pay income taxes, not for any crimes they may have committed, including pimping, drug dealing, and murder for hire. Look up your favorite gangsters and mobsters and you’ll see that the majority of them were ultimately jailed for income tax evasion. The government can also confiscate assets for which you cannot show the source of income from which they were purchased since you have not paid taxes on that income. That’s why many criminals, especially organized crime figures, launder money through legitimate businesses. Then, there is the RICO laws against racketeering, where you can be fined 3 times the amount of the judgment against you. Uncle Sam will get his taxes! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/5 "2003-02-06T13:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darth Nader \* > \*\*[http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypesdrug.htm](http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypesdrug.htm) > > “The fact that dealing marijuana and controlled > substances is illegal does not exempt it from > taxation. Therefore drug dealers are required by law > to purchase drug tax stamps.” > > Is there a pimp tax? > > A murder-for-hire tax? > > Why not? \*\* The reason for the marijuana tax stamp is simply that it’s another charge to bring against drug dealers. It’s like the line on the 1040 where you are supposed to declare your income from illegal activities. If someone deals, you can get him both for dealing and for not paying the proper tax. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/6 "2003-02-06T13:49:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darth Nader \* > Seriously, then. Why isn’t there a “stabbed your boyfriend in the eye with a fork” tax… ? At the risk of having been whooshed: Because that doesn’t merit you _income_. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/7 "2003-02-06T14:48:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cillasi \* > **Look up your favorite gangsters and mobsters and you’ll see that the majority of them were ultimately jailed for income tax evasion.** Al Capone ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/8 "2003-02-06T14:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darth Nader \* > \*\*[Kansas Department of Revenue - About the Department](http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypesdrug.htm) > > “The fact that dealing marijuana and controlled > substances is illegal does not exempt it from > taxation. Therefore drug dealers are required by law > to purchase drug tax stamps.” > > Is there a pimp tax? > > A murder-for-hire tax? > > Why not? \*\* These fall under …“other sources of income”. Which you are required to fill in on your tax return.😉 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/9 "2003-02-06T15:39:02Z")
**Cecil Adams** on [Are you required to report “illegal income” on your tax return?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_329b.html) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/10 "2003-02-06T16:00:47Z")
The drug tax stamps generally have pretty cool art, too. [Here’s](http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/stamps.htm) a page with a few of them (scroll down). IMHO, Texas has the best. Not shown is the Texas controlled substances stamp, which is something like several hundred dollars. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/11 "2003-02-06T16:14:18Z")
Can a stamp collector (with no interest in selling drugs) purchase these stamps? Are there philatelists who specialize in drug stamps? I’d think that purchase of these stamps would give the cops enough “probable cause” to get a warrant to tear up your home in a search any time they felt like it… ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/12 "2003-02-06T17:05:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chukhung \* > \*\*Can a stamp collector (with no interest in selling drugs) purchase these stamps? Are there philatelists who specialize in drug stamps? > > I’d think that purchase of these stamps would give the cops enough “probable cause” to get a warrant to tear up your home in a search any time they felt like it… \*\* The Wisconsin Supreme Court declared the state’s drug tax stamps unconstitutional for exactly that reason: they violate the privilege against self-incrimination. Anyone can buy the stamps, although some states make you pay a “registration fee” first. I’m pretty sure all you have to do in Texas is walk into the comptroller’s office and plop down the cash for the stamps. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-wrap-my-brain-around-this/153175/13 "2003-02-06T17:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > \*\*I’m pretty sure all you have to do in Texas is walk into the comptroller’s office and plop down the cash for the stamps. \*\* So, in Texas you can purchase them anonymously, without having to identify yourself? That seems to offer a way for a philatelist to get his hands on these stamps without having to worry about a late-night knock on the door.