Tax Official Threatens to Shut Down Kids' Pumpkin Stand For Lacking 'Proper Permit

LEWISTON, Idaho (The Blaze/AP) — An Idaho family that operates a roadside pumpkin stand is scared out of its gourd after a state tax collector showed up and tried to squash the business.

The Lewiston Tribune reports the Idaho State Tax Commission has called for the closure of a family's pumpkin stand in Lewiston, a mill city along the Snake and Clearwater rivers.

Dan and Kami Charais told the newspaper that a Tax Commission employee informed them the stand was in violation of laws and had to shut its doors.

The couple says their 4- and 6-year-old children had been carving out a niche for themselves in the local jack-o-lantern market — to raise money for school sports, they say.

A Tax Commission representative told the newspaper that even goods sold at roadside stands are taxable and that the stand did not have a proper permit.

A similar event occurred in Portland, OR in August. 7-year-old Julie Murphy's Lemonade stand was shut down by food inspectors at a local art fair for also lacking proper permits. The county later apologized.

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Information from: Lewiston Tribune, https://www.lmtribune.com