Analysis: Connecticut, New York have highest state cigarette taxes


Morguefile.com

Connecticut and New York levy the highest cigarette taxes of any state, according to a new analysis from the Tax Foundation based on 2016 data.

State taxes on a 20-pack of cigarettes in those two states stood at $4.35, the Tax Foundation study found. That amount is on top of a federal rate of more than $1 per 20-pack.

The state that levies the lowest taxes on cigarettes is Missouri, whose tax rate is 17 cents per pack. Nationwide, state cigarette taxes average $1.73 per pack.

Some local jurisdictions impose cigarette taxes. State, county and municipal taxes in Chicago amount to $6.16 per pack, the foundation reported.

Though some states earmark cigarette tax revenues to fix structural budget problems, cigarette tax revenue has been dropping because fewer people smoke, the study pointed out. In turn, state cigarette tax structures have become a less reliable revenue source and have created openings for intrastate smuggling, the foundation’s report said.

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How States Tax Cigarettes

RankStateState Cigarette Taxes per 20-Pack
1Connecticut$4.35
1New York$4.35
3Rhode Island$4.25
4Massachusetts$3.51
5Hawaii$3.20
6Vermont$3.08
7Minnesota$3.04
8Washington$3.03
9California$2.87
10New Jersey$2.70
11Pennsylvania$2.60
12Wisconsin$2.52
13Delaware$2.10
14Oklahoma$2.03
15Alaska$2.00
15Arizona$2.00
15Maine$2.00
15Maryland$2.00
15Michigan$2.00
20Illinois$1.98
21Nevada$1.80
22New Hampshire$1.78
23Montana$1.70
23Utah$1.70
25New Mexico$1.66
26Ohio$1.60
27South Dakota$1.53
28Texas$1.41
29Iowa$1.36
30Florida$1.34
31Oregon$1.33
32Kansas$1.29
33West Virginia$1.20
34Arkansas$1.15
35Kentucky$1.10
36Louisiana$1.08
37Indiana$1.00
38Colorado$0.84
39Mississippi$0.68
40Alabama$0.68
41Nebraska$0.64
42Tennessee$0.62
43Wyoming$0.60
44Idaho$0.57
44South Carolina$0.57
46North Carolina$0.45
47North Dakota$0.44
48Georgia$0.37
49Virginia$0.30
50Missouri$0.17
Source: Tax Foundation

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