Cigar Tax Discussions

[TommyBB]

I just did a search, and found quite a few threads on SCHIP, the New York and Florida tax increases, which is fine. California, though is now trying to impose even more onerous taxation as the state government is broke, and will cease paying many types of benefits to close a $24,000,000,000 shortfall.

Of COURSE taxing tobacco products is one of the very FIRST things mentioned, and at the rates being proposed would raise $2,000,000,000 of the $24,000,000,000.

Chris McCalla of the IPCPR has already fired a salvo against such taxes.

IPCPR Fights California Tobacco Tax Proposals

California legislators are grasping at tax straws that don't exist as they seek to raise billions of dollars that don't exist for a balanced state budget that doesn't exist, according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association. Two bills propose to increase tobacco taxes to as much as $2.10 per pack of cigarettes on top of the current $.87 per pack state tax and recently increased federal taxes of $1.00 per pack plus correspondingly stiff increases on other tobacco products like cigars and pipe tobacco.

CW News Entry