The IRS is Ready to Take Your Marijuana Money

The IRS is Ready to Take Your Marijuana Money

The IRS has a web page for marijuana business owners to pay their taxes. But first…

CCE in Michigan

Marijuana is still a controlled substance schedule 1 in Michigan even though the people voted to legalize it. There is a reason for that some will learn soon enough. Anyhow… The State and the IRS have conspired and Joined the CCE to take their cut.

A CCE in Michigan is a 20 year felony. If you’ve ever been threatened by a prosecutor for a CCE don’t be mad… it is what it is…right…? The times they are a changing…right?

But wait there’s more… prosecutors have to throw racketeering and conspiracy on there too as well as whatever else they can throw against the wall to see what sticks…and you… well you have to defend yourself and the more charges the more you have to pay to defend yourself. It’s a war of attrition and the prosecutors have unlimited funds.

Here’s one of The Law In Michigan

750.159i Prohibited conduct.

Sec. 159i.  (1) A person employed by, or associated with, an enterprise shall not knowingly conduct or participate in the affairs of the enterprise directly or indirectly through a pattern of racketeering activity.  (2) A person shall not knowingly acquire or maintain an interest in or control of an enterprise or real or personal property used or intended for use in the operation of an enterprise, directly or indirectly, through a pattern of racketeering activity.  (3) A person who has knowingly received any proceeds derived directly or indirectly from a pattern of racketeering activity shall not directly or indirectly use or invest any part of those proceeds, or any proceeds derived from the use or investment of any of those proceeds, in the establishment or operation of an enterprise, or the acquisition of any title to, or a right, interest, or equity in, real or personal property used or intended for use in the operation of an enterprise.  (4) A person shall not conspire or attempt to violate subsection (1), (2), or (3).

Here’s some more detail for Michigan CCE

CCE Federally

Sometimes known as The Kingpin Statute or the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute (CCE) is a federal law, which is focused on persons who may be considered “drug lords” or maintain a supervisory role in drug trafficking on a substantial basis. The CCE statute usually targets organized crime or drug “kingpins.”

Continuing Criminal Enterprise Defined in 21 U.S.C. 848, (gender specific)

(a)Penalties; forfeitures

Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 20 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of that authorized in accordance with the provisions of title 18 or $2,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $5,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title; except that if any person engages in such activity after one or more prior convictions of him under this section have become final, he shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 30 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of twice the amount authorized in accordance with the provisions of title 18 or $4,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $10,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title.

(b)Life imprisonment for engaging in continuing criminal enterprise

Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be imprisoned for life and fined in accordance with subsection (a), if—(1)such person is the principal administrator, organizer, or leader of the enterprise or is one of several such principal administrators, organizers, or leaders; and

(2) (A)the violation referred to in subsection (c) (1) involved at least 300 times the quantity of a substance described in subsection 841(b)(1)(B) of this title, or

(B)the enterprise, or any other enterprise in which the defendant was the principal or one of several principal administrators, organizers, or leaders, received $10 million dollars in gross receipts during any twelve-month period of its existence for the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a substance described in section 841(b)(1)(B) of this title.

(c)“Continuing criminal enterprise” definedFor purposes of subsection (a), a person is engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise if—(1)he violates any provision of this subchapter or subchapter II the punishment for which is a felony, and

(2)such violation is a part of a continuing series of violations of this subchapter or subchapter II—(A)which are undertaken by such person in concert with five or more other persons with respect to whom such person occupies a position of organizer, a supervisory position, or any other position of management, and

(B)from which such person obtains substantial income or resources.

(d)Suspension of sentence and probation prohibited

In the case of any sentence imposed under this section, imposition or execution of such sentence shall not be suspended, probation shall not be granted, and the Act of July 15, 1932 (D.C. Code, secs. 24–203—24–207), shall not apply.

(e)Death penalty

(1)In addition to the other penalties set forth in this section—(A)any person engaging in or working in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, or any person engaging in an offense punishable under section 841(b)(1)(A)[1] of this title or section 960(b)(1)[1] of this title who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of an individual and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death; and(B)any person, during the commission of, in furtherance of, or while attempting to avoid apprehension, prosecution or service of a prison sentence for, a felony violation of this subchapter or subchapter II who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer engaged in, or on account of, the performance of such officer’s official duties and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death.

(2)As used in paragraph (1)(B), the term “law enforcement officer” means a public servant authorized by law or by a Government agency or Congress to conduct or engage in the prevention, investigation, prosecution or adjudication of an offense, and includes those engaged in corrections, probation, or parole functions.(g) [2] to (p) Repealed. Pub. L. 109–177, title II, § 221(2), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231(q)Repealed. Pub. L. 109–177, title II, §§ 221(4), 222(c), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231, 232(r)Repealed. Pub. L. 109–177, title II, § 221(3), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231(s)

Special provision for methamphetamine

For the purposes of subsection (b), in the case of continuing criminal enterprise involving methamphetamine or its salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, paragraph (2)(A) shall be applied by substituting “200” for “300”, and paragraph (2)(B) shall be applied by substituting “$5,000,000” for “$10 million dollars”.


So the IRS will take your money – They will even take cash because you can’t bank because it is still considered an illegal business. Here are their instructions.

Hopefully they will spend it wisely… or not.

Enter… the IRS

A key component in promoting the highest degree of voluntary compliance on the part of taxpayers is helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities while also enforcing the law with integrity and fairness to all. This article provides general guidance including frequently asked questions for taxpayers in the marijuana industry.

I.R.C. § 280E and the Marijuana Industry

Businesses that traffic marijuana in contravention of federal or state law are subject to the limitations of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 280E. The Marijuana Industry FAQs, linked below, address federal tax filing and information report requirements specific to taxpayers in this industry.

Income Reporting

Income from any source is taxable and taxpayers are generally required to file a tax return to report that income to the IRS. Many marijuana-industry businesses conduct transactions in cash, which need to be reported, like any other form of payment. See Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business, for more details.

Cash Payment Options

Cash payment options are available for unbanked taxpayers. Some IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers accept cash. Call 844-545-5640 for a location near you to schedule an appointment. Publication 5435 (PDF) provides additional details about cash payment options.

Large Cash Amounts

Any person in a trade or business who receives more than $10,000 in cash in a single transaction or in related transactions must file Form 8300 (PDF), Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business, within 15 days after receiving payment.

Estimated Payments

Small business taxpayers often need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to cover their tax obligation. Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, will help to figure these payments. IRS Direct Pay is the fastest and easiest way to make these payments. The Treasury Department’s (EFTPS) system is also an option.

Records

Good records assist in monitoring a business’s progress, tracking deductible expenses and can substantiate items reported on tax returns. A good recordkeeping system includes a summary of all business transactions. Generally, it is best to record transactions daily.

More Information

LINKS

IRS – Marijuana Industry Page
IRS – Marijuana Industry Frequently Asked Questions

Starting A Cannabis Business? You will require legal guidance
Komorn Law  provides legal guidance and consultation to those interested in Cannabis  businesses.
Call  Our Office 248-357-2550 or Google Komorn Law and do your research.


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IRS report predicts national rise in cannabis industry tax audits.

IRS report predicts national rise in cannabis industry tax audits.

A recently released report from a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department states the Internal Revenue Service is preparing to launch an increase in marijuana industry audits nationwide, However, it also offers a possible way for marijuana companies to skirt federal taxes.

The IRS is closely monitoring the marijuana industry and intends to target companies that have failed to pay their full federal tax obligations.The agency has plans to enforce the collection of those taxes.

The report – written by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) – found there are likely hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes owed by the marijuana industry under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, which prohibits standard business deductions by companies that traffic in federally illegal drugs, including marijuana.

26 U.S. Code § 280E.Expenditures in connection with the illegal sale of drugs

No deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act) which is prohibited by Federal law or the law of any State in which such trade or business is conducted.

Definition of Controlled Substance Schedules

Drugs and other substances that are considered controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) are divided into five schedules. An updated and complete list of the schedules is published annually in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) §§1308.11 through 1308.15. Substances are placed in their respective schedules based on whether they have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, their relative abuse potential, and likelihood of causing dependence when abused. Some examples of the drugs in each schedule are listed below.

Schedule I Controlled Substances

Substances in this schedule have no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and a high potential for abuse.

Some examples of substances listed in Schedule I are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), peyote, methaqualone, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“Ecstasy”).

Schedule II/IIN Controlled Substances (2/2N)

Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Examples of Schedule II narcotics include: hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), methadone (Dolophine®), meperidine (Demerol®), oxycodone (OxyContin®, Percocet®), and fentanyl (Sublimaze®, Duragesic®).  Other Schedule II narcotics include: morphine, opium, codeine, and hydrocodone.

Examples of Schedule IIN stimulants include: amphetamine (Dexedrine®, Adderall®), methamphetamine (Desoxyn®), and methylphenidate (Ritalin®).

Other Schedule II substances include: amobarbital, glutethimide, and pentobarbital.

Farmington Hills, MI-based Attorney Michael Komorn who has represented the medical marijuana businesses and recreational cannabis licensing and legal defense stated “Here they come like we knew they would… so now is the time to prepare.”

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Michigan medical marijuana law does not protect liars court of appeals says

Michigan medical marijuana law does not protect liars court of appeals says

LANSING, MI — Michigan courts and police continue to work within a gray created by state marijuana legalization that contradicts federal law.

Not only are lines blurred by conflicting jurisdictional laws, and complicated by the division of the state’s medical and recreational statutes, but Michigan courts operate, in part, based on precedents established under the now-faulty premise that marijuana is illegal.

A court ruling  could help to tidy things up a bit. The Court of Appeals in an opinion published Feb. 13, 2020 ruled that, while police must have more evidence than simply the scent of marijuana to justify a warrant-less vehicle search, lying or deceiving police may change that.

In November 2018, Trooper Allan Park of the Michigan State Police stopped medical marijuana caregiver Thomas Moorman at a gas station in the Upper Peninsula’s Alger County for speeding.

Park claimed he smelled “a strong odor of fresh marijuana emanating from the vehicle, which indicated to him that there was a ‘good quantity’ of marijuana in the vehicle,” the Court of Appeals said in their ruling.

Moorman said he had no marijuana but as questioning persisted, he admitted that he harvested some marijuana earlier in the day. He also told the trooper he was a registered medical marijuana caregiver with five assigned patients, the Court of Appeals said.

The court ruled. ” … We conclude that defendant’s behavior (denying the presence of marijuana) was inconsistent with being in lawful possession of marijuana … This behavior, in conjunction with the odor of marijuana, gave rise to probable cause …

The court did not address how possession of recreational marijuana might impact an officer’s right to conduct a vehicle search.

Read More @Mlive.

Case Law Reference

People v Williams, 472 Mich 308, 315; 696 NW2d 636 (2005).

“[U]nder the automobile exception, the police may search a motor vehicle without the necessity of first obtaining a warrant if probable cause to support the search exists.”

Kazmierczak, 461 Mich at 418-419.

In Kazmierczak, this Court held that “the smell of marijuana alone by a person qualified to know the odor may establish probable cause to search a motor vehicle, pursuant to the motor vehicle exception to the warrant requirement.” Kazmierczak, 461 Mich at 413.

You Won’t Lose Your Gun Just For Smoking Recreational Marijuana

You Won’t Lose Your Gun Just For Smoking Recreational Marijuana

You Won’t Lose Your Gun Just For Smoking Recreational Marijuana – In Illinois.  11,000 marijuana conviction  expungements on 2020 new years day – In Illinois.  One database fills while another “empties”.

Rumors that Illinois gun owners will lose their firearms if they use cannabis under the state’s new legalization mandate are false.

That’s according to multiple authorities after major news outlets published stories claiming gun owners who purchase adult-use cannabis in Illinois would be placed into a database banning them from buying firearms.

The Illinois State Police said Dec. 31 it will not revoke Firearm Owner Identification Cards based solely on someone’s marijuana usage.

Illinois State Rifle Association lobbyist Ed Sullivan said cannabis dispensaries cannot share identifying information with law enforcement agencies unless the customer authorizes it.

But Sullivan notes the federal government still considers marijuana a Schedule I narcotic.

He said this allows the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) to obtain the records of medical cannabis users and potentially restrict their ability to buy guns from Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers.

“If you intend to use cannabis and own a firearm taking the recreational cannabis route has less potential, detrimental effects on your 2nd Amendment rights than the medical cannabis route,” Sullivan said.

What about Michigan… Is anybody out there? Hello?…………………..What about Michigan?

Read the Rest of the Story Here

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Michigan AG Joins Bipartisan Coalition of 21 Attorneys General Urging Congress to Pass Marijuana Banking Bill

Michigan AG Joins Bipartisan Coalition of 21 Attorneys General Urging Congress to Pass Marijuana Banking Bill

LANSING – Taking steps to protect Michigan’s emerging marijuana industry and its consumers, Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan group of 21 Attorneys General Monday, urging Congress to pass legislation that allows legal businesses to access the federal banking system.

Under existing law, financial institutions are prohibited from providing banking services to marijuana businesses in the 33 states and other U.S. territories where medical or retail marijuana sales are legal. As a result, businesses that comply with state law are forced to operate as cash-only businesses, posing serious safety threats and creating targets for violent and white-collar crime.

The legal marijuana industry employs hundreds of thousands of Americans nationwide and is expected to provide more than 40,000 jobs in Michigan by the time the market is fully established, according to the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. It is estimated that the industry will generate revenue between $50 billion and $80 billion nationally over the next decade.

“All legal and legitimate businesses should have a safe place to deposit their revenue and not have to rely on under-the-floor safes to store their legally earned money,” Nessel said. “This is not just a states’ rights issue, this is an issue of safety. The expansion of Michigan’s market to include legal sales of recreational marijuana this year compels us to join this effort to ensure we protect Michigan businesses from becoming unnecessary targets of bad actors.”

In their letter, the Attorneys General say that the legislation (H.R. 2093; S. 1028) would provide businesses oversight and reduce the risk of violent and white-collar crime affecting the growing industry by allowing marijuana businesses to access the federal banking system. The “STATES” (Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States) Act already has bipartisan support with 62 cosponsors in the U.S. House and 9 cosponsors in the U.S. Senate.

Nessel joins the Attorneys General of Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington in sending this letter.  

A copy of the letter is available here.

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