The IRS, and various state taxing agencies, in their relentless pursuit to collect taxes for various enterprises, have managed to shut down thousands of businesses in multiple states with one fell swoop. Laws in various states have recently been enforced in a way that taxes affilliate programs run by companies like Overstock.com and Amazon.com. As a response, Overstock and Amazon have shut down affilliate programs in California, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

Surely this was not the intended goal–but it was inevitable nonetheless. And now, during the middle of a recession, these state agencies have cost hundreds of people their jobs, and thousands of people extra income.