Why Does a Tax Stamp Take So Long??

[etrain16]

Genuinely curious. From what I can see, outside of a little extra paperwork, all the tax stamp is is a standard background check. Or is it? I know you submit some pretty substantial fingerprints - are they running your prints through the FBI database? Or are those just for the records? I've never tried to dig into the whole process they go through to process a single stamp, but really have to wonder why it takes so long.

I do get it's a government bureaucracy and that they only have so many folks to process these things. But really, is there anything they do in the process that couldn't be done by and FFL, on site?

Just wondering if anyone has some special insight to the process?

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[E4mafia]

I've heard that the total head count for all the NFA paperwork is rather slim so the time it takes to process paper work on top of all the checks etc can easily be backed up. Makes sense, think like the OSP 30 members who work the state wide FICS.

Found this,

ATF Hires Wave of New Employees for NFA Branch, Wait Times Expected to Decrease - The Truth About Guns

 

[HB of CJ]

I dunno. No insights either. You are absolutely correct. Why does it take so long? Anybody here with an inside edge or the straight scoop?

All Oregon State Laws, US Code Laws, NFA Laws And BATFE Rules Apply. What is it they do not understand about the simple word INFRINGED?

 

[Member 34319]

From all I have read and heard, it literally comes down to the number of folks doing the work.

There are apparently only a handful of folks designated to do this for the entire nation. That's great if there is only a handful of applicants, but as of lately silencers and SBRs have been extremely popular. Given that most these days can readily afford the additional $200 vs what the $200 was back when the law passed.

Take that same number of people and drop a couple thousand, or perhaps tens of thousands of applicants on them, you get what we currently have.

Same type of thing happens on big sale days with NICS, like on Black Friday.

 

[HB of CJ]

Engineered and designed from the get go to discommode the responsible US Citizen.

 

[nehalemguy]

I have read (but not verified) that there are only 12-15 examiners to process NFA applications. BATF funding has remained stagnant for the last 10 years (verified). It was big news earlier this year when it was announced that the NFA division would receive more funding to hire more examiners.

Prior to the implementation of 41F in July 2016 there was as HUGE surge of applications. Even now, ATF is working through that backlog, but things seem to be generally improving.

IMO.......Congress could act to streamline the process, but the ATF has to follow the laws as they are written.

E

 

[KKG]

A lot of the problem comes from the number of States that have changed their Laws to allow Suppressors to be Owned. WA is one of those. Another part is that the BATFE hasn't added any new staff in years. It took me 7 months and all my paperwork was in order. I have been told that when you apply for an NFA stamp, they check each and every State, plus Federal and Interpol. All of it just takes time.

 

[jbett98]

Plus, think of all the mistakes that are made on the forms.

 

[CountryGent]

Engineered and designed from the get go to discommode the responsible US Citizen.

^. This. While ostensibly a tax gathering plan, the real reason is to make ownership of said regulated items so expensive, so obnoxious, so time consuming, and an otherwise a pain in the rump, that the average person doesn't bother. While two C-Notes is pocket change in today's dollars, back in the 30s, it was some serious scratch. Despite all of that, some of us have enjoyed stamp collecting very much.

 

[HB of CJ]

Yep!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Because the computer age is a long way into the future.

It's like DeBeers and diamonds.

 

[teflon6string]

Several things the way I see it...

Bungling Federal ineptitude.

A $200 tax designed to be discouraging/restrictive (at least in the year it was first cooked up).

Too few agents working on it.

Paper forms.

Big surge in prospective participants as citizen's rights are being incrementally and systematically undermined with eventual total bans as the endgame.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Glock Jock]

Because you don't just get freedom around here buddy. You pay for your freedom and you will wait for your freedom. Just because you can own a gun doesn't mean you get to protect your hearing. Just because you can own a rifle doesn't mean you can own a short rifle, unless it's a pistol then you can own it, but there will be no short rifle freedom.

 

[bolus]

Government it why.

When I applied for my medical license here they have one person doing all the professional licensing for the state. They need something like 30 different documents and only process them once a month. So if your information does not arrive in time, you wait another month for the processing. They dont tell you if your requested information shows up or not and if you call there is a 1 in 20 chance you'll be put in the wait queue and and 19/20 chance of getting hung up on after listening to the 5 minute non-skipable message.

If you get on the phone queue you wait 2-3 hours for someone to answer. You ask them if they have all your stuff and they put you on hold while they apparently walk to another building to find out (20 more minutes). You cant email the question or fax them.

(oh and half of those 30 documents *must* be faxed, the other half *must* be original and mailed and one *must* be emailed. )

I applied in November, didnt get approved until March (though they cashed my check in November)

 

[partsed]

Well we are talking Hawaiian time you know.... if surfs up, we all go surfing...... What's the rush???

 

[nehalemguy]

Plus, think of all the mistakes that are made on the forms.

I have used Silencer Shop for my last two submissions to the ATF. They complete the paperwork and send it to you to check for errors. Once you approve the accuracy, they affix a barcode to the form that has all the information.

When ATF gets the form, they simply scan the barcode and all the info is entered in a micro second. This should help speed up the process.....and eliminate typing errors on their end.

E

 

[Member 34319]

This is how I picture the NFA branch.

 

[bolus]

This is how I picture the NFA branch.

View attachment 469692

If I worked there I'd be like that person in Florida who could not log into NICS so was rubber stamping all the carry permits.
"I ant got time for this..."
*approved*
*approved*
*approved*
*approved*
*approved*
*approved*
when they finally found out 3 years later, I'd have the queue all caught up.

which is pretty much what I do for medical clearance forms.

 

[bolus]

Well we are talking Hawaiian time you know.... if surfs up, we all go surfing...... What's the rush???

Nah, Hawaii time is when the guys delivering my refrigerator say 8:00 am but show up at noon and are both high as a kite. I gave them some homemade fudge because they had to have the munchies

 

[teflon6string]

Government it why.
...
...
...
...
I applied in November, didnt get approved until March (though they cashed my check in November)

Still way too long, but that's actually a lot better than it was. About half the time it took 5 years ago.

Think of how much quicker it might be if suppressors were not subject to the NFA chokehold.