Questions about the meal tax and civil dis

[Dave Ridley]

If some average joe were to prepare meals and sell them in front of the Department of Revenue Administration would he be liable to pay the meal tax?   

Can you guys see any problems with an act of civil disobedience which involves the selling of tax free meals at that location?   Would the state house be better?    is there a better act of tax-related civil dis that could be done visually?

[error]

All you would need is some kind of food cart, and that's if you wanted to get fancy with it. Then just sell authentic gyros tax-free... I'll be more than happy to buy one. The meal tax is one of the things I want to see GONE.

[mappchik]

In order to collect taxes, don't you need to be a business?
If done by an individual, I would think you'd be violating any licensing and food/restaurant inspection laws, but not really the tax collecting regs. Unless bake sales, lemonade stands & girl scout cookies are taxed.

[error]

Even if street vendors are exempt from collecting a meal tax, that misses the point: that being to visibly sell prepared meals and not collect the tax. After all, very few people would even know about such an exemption, if there were one. Hell, many people don't even notice the tax being added to their bill.

[mappchik]

In which case, the menu options should all read "tax free _____", just to add the slap in the face to the bureaucrats.

Illegal tax free hot dogs - gives new meaning to "red hots"

[supperman15]

could be fun,  I would recomend having perhaps a narator to the event, someone dressed real fancy that would draw atention.  He can tell people about the tax, and what it is used for and then show people what happens if you dont pay that tax.  If nothing postulate on why, if something happens the state is showing how much of a school yard bully.  Youll also get to see if they will do anything about freedom of speach. (i get sort of a carnival pay a dime to look in the tent feel for some reason) 
Whoever the narrorator is needs to point out that there is this tax and the vendor is breaking the law.  If they dont make that point then it is really easy to look away and im not sure you provoke the power of civil disobediance.

Now if all the people who buy the food are in on it, you may then even be able to challenge any charges under the freedom of speach and expresson because at that point it becomes theatre... could be a fun argument but you may not want to take it