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taxes on cigars

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cigars taxes
2K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  thunderbucks 
#1 ·
I was just wondering if the states you live in tax cigars and how much they add on. Here in PA cigars aren’t taxed anything over the 6 percent sales tax YET, but it's probably coming. I don't smoke cigarettes but I know that they are taxed very heavily the price for a pack is over $3.50. I've heard that some states are charging up to 50% tax on cigars. Thank god Internet sales are tax free.
 
#4 ·
Georgia increased its tax on tobacco products for the first time in 32 years last month.

Cigarette tax went from $.12 to $.37 a pack and cigars went from 13% to a 23% rate - they wanted 36% initially.

Georgia is now ranked 33rd in the nation for tobacco taxes, previously it held the 46th spot.

Oh well, at least it's not Washington state with a 129.42% rate :c
 
G
#5 ·
So when are we as smokers going to have our version of the Boston Tea Party to protest the tobacco tax? But instead of throwing the tobacco in the water, we have smoke ins at state capitals.


Just my .02

JP

:c
 
#6 ·
Yeah I was pissed when GA raised the tobbaco taxes. But I understand why they did it, there is a recision going on and they n eed the money very badly. I am willing to pay more for my cigars if it will help out, but for those states that just have huge taxes for no reason, thats just BS!
 
#7 ·
The tax rate on cigars here in Washington is right around 150%. It is cheaper to purchase Cuban cigars off the internet (not that I would) than to purchase "run of the mill" cigars from stores here in the state. It has been years since I last got a cigar from a store here in the state.
 
#8 ·
WACigar said:
The tax rate on cigars here in Washington is right around 150%. It is cheaper to purchase Cuban cigars off the internet (not that I would) than to purchase "run of the mill" cigars from stores here in the state. It has been years since I last got a cigar from a store here in the state.
egaaaaaaaaadsss

No wonder SirFireForge calls me every month 150% is crazy.

OPT
 
#12 ·
The general Political view in Washington State is you are one of two things, A multi-millionaire or homeless. It is insane. I know we are not the only state like this, but we are leading the way! Eliminating the middle-class through tax stuctures. Amazing, but a reality. I can't afford a cigar here. Most everyone who smokes cigarettes, goes internet. The auditors know it and have tried to muscle in on dealers in Ga., Kt., and other states known to sell tax free. Rather than fix the problem at a local level, they waste our tax money chasing other states companies!?! Braindead.:sb
 
#13 ·
As far as I know cigar "excise tax" in Massachusetts is 15% over the 5% sales tax. I understand that this excise tax is payed by the distributors and is reflected in the retail price. I know of one retailer tacking on the extra tax when you pay retail, I think that's a double taxation for a little extra profit.

It kills me that an excise tax is a tax on something that is considered a "luxury" and not an necessity. The wife and I are paying almost one Grand a year on excise tax for the "luxury" of having cars. I can't even go to the store without driving several miles. There is a bus stop at the top of my street, I suppose if I took the bus I wouldn't have to have the luxury of a car. Unfortunatly I have not seen a bus there ever in the ten years that I have lived here.

Forgive me for I rant and rave!

Let me rant some more about taxes.

A trend amoung state governments is to try and collect sales taxes not paid by tobacco internet purchasers. Most retailers pledge not to reveal the names of their customers, but pressure from state's Attorney Generals is mounting. I must say with a bit of worry that if the bill comes I will be bumming big time.

Keep your heads up guys!
 
#15 ·
This is an old thread, but since someone else posted on it today, i might as well post the rewards of the fight we gave the FORMER 130% WA state tax and a little update on the new smoking ban as well.

First of all, after many letters and much effort from the local cigar community we were able to get the WA tobacco taxes cut down from 130% to a cap of just .50 cents per cigar! This means that a box of cigars that wholesaled to a retailer for $100 would have cost them $230 after taxes. They would have to sell that same box for $250 just to make a profit on them, while you could get the same thing over the net for around $120 or so. That same $100 box would now cost the retailer only $110 after taxes (assuming that there were 20 cigars in the box). That's one helluva difference. The result was more affordable local cigar prices for the consumer and increased sales and competitive ability for the retailer.

However, as soon as we fought our arses off to get the tax lowered, the legislators passed a ban on public smoking altogether. So now there's a new battle to fight.

The smoking ban which recently passed here was among the most restrictive in the nation. Thank God my local happens to be on a reservation and so it didn't effect me personally, however cigar bars are no longer available here on non-tribal public property. The ban also includes spaces within 25 feet of an open door or window in a public establishment. This would force cigar shops to build tents or other portable smoking stations in the middle of parkinglots, etc and pretty much makes any city sidewalk off limits.

Some of my local herfers, in an attempt to show the over-extention of the ban, all got together and started walking down the crowded city streets (a decent-sized group of cigar smokers producing a large plume of smoke). When folks complained about the smell they replied, "you voted us out here...we'd much rather be at the cigar bar down the street!" That was a great way to send a very important message, namely, the ban is WAY OVER THE TOP and wasn't well thought out.

However, there is currently an effort to make some changes to this new legislature. I'm thinking that the pendulum will eventually swing back to something less extreme and far more reasonable. No smoking in family restaraunts, great idea. No smoking in bars, now that should be up to the establishment (not big brother). But certainly smoke shops and cigar bars ought to be allowed to have smoking, that's a no brainer. They simply went too far with the legislature. A lot of people had their heads so far up their butts they could hear the ocean on this one! :c
 
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