TULSA, Ok. - The City wanted to use a private firm to handle tax collections for the city, instead of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. But then on the last day of session, the State Legislature passed a new law that "requires" all cities and towns to use the Oklahoma State Tax Commission. So now, the city has filed a lawsuit to try to nullify the law. The city says the Tax Commission is inefficient and that a private company can dredge up more revenue for the city.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma motorists can skip a visit to their local tag agency and register their vehicles online through a new state Web site.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission on Wednesday announced the new Web site,  Click here to go to the new online Tag Renewal website 

Dubbed CARS, the Convenient Auto Renewal System is a partnership between the commission and the state's official Web site.

Besides vehicles, motorists can register their commercial or farm trucks under certain conditions.

The site also allows motorists to sign up and receive an e-mail when it is time to renew their tag.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A Norman resident has sued to get a proclamation of his sexual preference on the Oklahoma license tag he displays on the back of his car.

But state officials have declined to provide 28-year-old Keith Kimmel with a vanity tag that says IM GAY, and now he's suing to get it.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission turned Kimmel down last year because of an internal rule against special license tags that ``may be offensive to the general public.''

The political science-pre-law student at Oklahoma City Community College filed suit Wednesday in Oklahoma County District Court. His suit asks District Judge Noma Gurich to order tax officials to grant his application for the IM GAY tag.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (AP) - A tobacco wholesaler says he is upset that some of his competitors are allegedly selling cigarettes that have eluded Oklahoma's tax authorities, but the state's enforcement agency says wholesalers are being caught and sometimes punished in confidential actions.

Oklahoma City tobacco wholesaler Alan Beck says he sees ``blatantly illegal'' sales of untaxed tobacco products by some competitors and that the state may miss $1 million per month in tax revenue.

Oklahoma Tax Commission attorney Marjorie Welch says more than $500,000 worth of tobacco has been seized this year from sellers who had no proof the taxes were paid. Welch also says the commission is forced by law to take some enforcement actions in private, though license revocations are public record.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. - More bad news for Oklahoma's revenue and that means state agencies are bracing for another five percent cut to their allocations. Governor Brad Henry says there's no need to panic and "we've gotten some new projections from the Tax Commission that don't look great but they do show that over the next few months we ought to be in a little bit better shape because of the traditionally higher collection months." The Governor says July and August are traditionally low collection months. August collections were down more than $131-million from what had been estimated. State Treasurer Scott Meacham says that translates to a total cut to state agencies of $21-million.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma's third annual sales tax holiday is a little more than one week away.

The tax-free weekend will kick off on Aug. 7, giving families a chance to save money on back-to-school clothing while encouraging shoppers to support Oklahoma businesses.

This year's sales tax holiday ends at midnight on Aug. 9. Clothing and shoes priced under $100 are exempt from all sales taxes during that period.

Sen. Don Barrington of Lawton was principal author of the measure. Barrington says that for years, Oklahoma merchants lost dollars to other states, particularly Texas, that offered a sales tax holiday.

He says merchants have found the holiday not only keeps shoppers in the state, but they also buy other items that are not included in the tax-free items.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ State Treasurer Scott Meacham says the nationwide recession is having a deep impact on state revenue.

Meacham said Tuesday that collections during the month of June were enough to fund the state's obligations for July, the first month of the new fiscal year. But he says a revenue shortfall is probable in the coming months.

Meacham says it is very likely that revenue during the 2010 fiscal year will be less than originally estimated by the Tax Commission.

Preliminary reports show general revenue fund collections for the 2009 fiscal year that ended in June totaled about $5.5 billion.

That amount was $434.7 million, or 7.3 percent, below the prior year. It was also $427.8 million, or 7.2 percent, below the estimate.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Oklahoma Tax Commission raids two Indian smoke shops in Henryetta for allegedly selling contraband cigarettes.

The smoke shops are owned respectively by the Alabama Quassarte Tribal Town and the Kialegee Tribal Town tribes.

Tax Commission spokeswoman Paula Ross alleges that the shops sold cigarettes that aren't on the Oklahoma Attorney General's Master Settlement Agreement list of approved brands. Ross also says other cigarettes had an incorrect tax stamp.

A full inventory of the confiscated cigarettes hadn't been done, but one of the brands found was Seneca, a cigarette manufactured by the Seneca Nation in New York that's not on the settlement list.

An attorney for the Alabama Quassarte Tribal Town didn't return a phone call from the Tulsa World seeking comment. Kialegee Tribal Town King Jennie Lillard was not available for comment.

Neither tribe has a tobacco compact with the state, although their stores are located within the Creek Nation's jurisdictional boundary.

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has been involved in an ongoing fight with the state about tobacco.

(Oklahoma City, OK) -- Don't let back taxes give you the blues. If you still owe the state, a new amnesty program will pay them without penalties or interest. Paula Ross with the Oklahoma Tax Commission says they're working to get the word out to people.  If you do still owe, don't procrastinate. The program ends November 14th.