Industry Eye: Legal Matters - Colorado Invades Consumer Privacy to Collect Sales Taxes

Many Colorado citizens believe the "track and tax" law is an invasion of their privacy. They argue the government has no right, or need, to know from whom they make purchases and to whom they send gifts. Whether such information reveals political associations, sexual preferences, personal tastes, intimate friendships, etc., opponents believe the statute oversteps constitutional limits on state government authority and infringes on consumers' right to privacy. These concerns are heightened by the fact that the new legislation contains no provision for protecting the confidentiality of the information merchants must turn over to the Department of Revenue.