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Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's
Campaign Against Cigarette Tax Evasion Gets Major Boost
In the latest development in Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg’s campaign against cigarette tax evasion, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit has reversed several March 2006 lower court orders and
reinstated the City’s lawsuits against numerous corporations and individuals who
own or operate Internet websites selling cigarettes.
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Treasury Publishes 2006 Abandoned Bail Listings
The Treasury Division's Client Services Unit holds all cash bail until the court notifies them that a case is resolved. Upon notice, they send a refund to the "surety" - that is, to the person who paid the bail. In some cases - for instance, if the surety moved - the refund may be undeliverable. Client Services will then hold the money, waiting for the surety to come forward and claim it. If a refund is still unclaimed after five years, the refunds are considered "abandoned." This year, to increase the chance that a missing surety will see the list and claim a bail refund, Finance is publishing the list twice - once only on the web site and again, in early 2007, in at least two major NYC newspapers. 9/14/06
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Read more about the refund process
Commissioner Stark and Corporation Counsel Cardozo Announce Latest Cigarette Tax Collection Effort
Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark and Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo today announced that as a result of a settlement with the Internet cigarette seller dirtcheapcigs.com, Finance will mail bills to more than 16,000 people who owe a total of $6.95 million in unpaid cigarette tax to the City. Finance will mail letters to individuals allowing them to pay or contest the tax due within 30 days. Finance will not bill penalties, which can be assessed at up to $200 per carton of untaxed cigarettes if the amount due is paid within 30 days. 8/9/06
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Cigarette Tax Enforcement information
City Reaches Largest Internet Cigarette Tax Settlement
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark, and Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo today announced that the City has obtained detailed information on Internet cigarettes sales that will facilitate the recovery of up to $33 million in unpaid sales tax revenue. The settlement – against eSmokes, Inc., a Virginia-based Internet seller now in bankruptcy – is the largest settlement to date resulting from a 2003 lawsuit filed by the City in Federal District Court in Manhattan. The lawsuit was filed against corporations and individuals who evade sales taxes through the operation of Internet sites that ship cigarettes to New York City residents. 3/7/06
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Cigarette Tax Enforcement information
Mayor Bloomberg Announces Six Appointments to Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Board
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the City's six new appointments to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) Board. The LMDC is the joint State-City Corporation formed to oversee the revitalization of Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. The appointees are Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Operations Marc V. Shaw, Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark, City Planning Director Amanda M. Burden, Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Chairman William Rudin and Verizon Communications Vice Chairman and President Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. These six appointments join the Mayor's other two appointees Trinity Real Estate President Carl Weisbrod (formerly Alliance for Downtown New York President) and Greenberg Traurig, LLP attorney Robert M. Harding. 11/16/05
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