why are cigarett taxes so high?
108597
see the greedy answer
781651
If you think about it, they are. Since evrything is taxed these days, more use = more tax.
433685
We pay quite a bit more taxes than most people realize.  Our employers pay payroll taxes before giving us our paychecks, we then turn around and pay taxes again on that same money.  Whenever a business making a product has to buy resources to make that product, they pay taxes which are then pushed on to us.  Conservative estimates are that taxes make up a minimum of 30% of almost every product we buy (before states tack on a sales tax)\n\nDon't forget other types of taxes, permits to build a home, registration on your car, insidiously high excise taxes on gasoline, and many many other taxes that we are used to paying (like tolls).\n\nThe federal income tax was started to fund the civil war, read more in my second included link.\n\nDon't forget that lack of representation and unfair taxes are what caused this country to break away from England in the first place.  Our forefathers would be disgusted to know that are taxes are many times higher now than under the rule of the King. :(
629496
maybe they smoke too much
1107485
people keep trying to raise tax on cigarettes because they dont want people to smoke. These people should worry about themselves.
952529
b-COST! Especially taxes!
460050
Nope, too many people with too much influence don't want it and lobby hard against it.  Why would they want to pay a flat tax if they currently pay little or no tax to begin with?
156285
i no longer smoke the funny cigarettes, but i think legalizing it would prompt the government to tax the heck out of it just like cigarettes and alcohol...but they wouldn't legalize it anyway since they are making more money off of it in the underground market
9599
1) Because politicians are afraid voters will punish anyone who suggests more progressive and fair taxes;\n2) Because smoking is bad for you and others, and there is no right to smoke at a cheap price.
1043482
not sure why we did that thing over the tea tax---because now we are taxing ourselves more than the english ever would have!!!!
296268
DON'T BUY CIGARRETES!!! THEY'RE BAD FOR YOU AND THEY CAN MAKE YOU GET CANCER AND EVEN KILL YOU!!!
303023
All I know is that it is ALOT!\n\n9 years ago when my son was about 3 my hubby and I were applying for life insurance.\n\nHe mentioned that he did occasionally have a cigar.  \n\nHe traveled alto for work and 2 or 3 times a year.  When he was in Ireland visiting a certain client he would have A (just 1) cigar.\n\nWell they tagged him as a smoker and jacked up the rates.\n\nYou would not believe the red tape we had to go through to get that reversed...and extra blood work too!\n\nMy 3 year old over heard us discussing this and was shocked!\n"Daddy you NOT suppose to EVER smoke!"\n\nSo then and their my hubby promised our son he would never ever do it again.\n\nAnd he hasn't.\n\nI don't think the few cigars he was having each year posed much of a health risk.  But I think what he did for our son was great.  He set a great example.
518600
No...smokers are not going to quit.  What smokers may begin to do is find alternative ways to purchase cigarettes.  Smokers are already way overtaxed, and as states decide to rape them further, they will find cheaper ways to buy cigarettes (over thi internet, in the next state over, have their cousin Vinny send them UPS, etc).  \n\nI simply can't understand the obsession with trying to screw the smoker these days.  Like you said, smokers are one of the largest contributors to the state budget each year. Larger than sales tax, larger than property tax....\n\nI say, let smokers have a break....if you are going to restrict where they are allowed to smoke, you need to reduce the tax...It should be like a usage tax, the less places in a state that smokers are allowed to smoke, the less tax they have to pay!\n\nBTW 'sunny'.....STFU!  Smoking does NOT cost millions in public health care.  Do a little research and you will find that this 2nd hand smoke bunk is nothing but a myth.  The Supremem court overturned the EPA's decision about ETS (2nd Hand SMoke) and called it junk science with no foundation to stand on.
765551
Yes! (if you did not pay taxes in another state on those cigarettes)  In fact, California has sent bills to 12,000 taxpayers this year who purchased cigarettes over the internet and paid no sales tax.  This is not just cigarettes though- technically anything you buy over the internet or through the mail for which you are not taxed is taxable by California.  It's just too hard to track individual spending so only companies are subject to those rules- it's called a "use tax".
200848
Generally it is because long time resident have paid taxes that are allocated to the schools.  People from outside the state have never contributed to the state where you intend to go to school.  Therefore they charge more.
880018
Well, stores can charge what they like--if people pay it, then it isn't exorbitant or anything.  Prices are usually based on what the market will bear.\n\nBut often, communities have "sin taxes" levied on items like alcohol and tobacco products.  Usually, a community will need some money for something or other, and rather than raise sales tax in general, they might raise taxes on a certain item like alcohol and tobacco because they know people are addicted to them and they'll pay quite a bit for them.  \n\nIn my area, several counties and towns are "dry", meaning they don't sell alcohol at all, or they only sell beer (no liquor) or they only sell beer in stores (but not by-the-glass at bars or restaurants.)  Three or four of them are voting on whether or not to stay dry or change their alcohol-selling rules.  Your town might have enacted some kind of sin tax--it's often legislature that rules the price of vice items.
455073
It is not illegal to buy cigarettes online from a diffeent state.  It IS illegal to fail to pay New York State and City cigarette sales tax on those cigarettes.  You should buy the cigarettes online, compute the tax on the cigarettes and mail it to the city and state.  Otherwise, you are breaking the law.\n\nBut, of course, what you should really do is what New York City wanted you to do when they raised the tax in the first place - quit smoking.  One half of all people who smoke will die from it.