Vape Society Supply, an online retailer based in Columbia, Missouri, launched two free online calculators estimating state and local vape excise taxes across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. One calculator estimates taxes on consumers‘ online purchases, while the other calculates excise taxes on wholesale orders for retailers. The tools cover multiple product categories, including disposable vapes, pods, e-liquids, devices, accessories, and nicotine pouches, and include links to state tax rules and sources. The consumer calculator also incorporates local taxes in Chicago, Cook County, Anchorage, and the Mat-Su Borough.
Tag: tobacco tax
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Italy Accelerates Tobacco Tax Increases
Italy’s 2027-2029 Budget Bill would accelerate previously scheduled tobacco excise increases by six months, resulting in two cigarette price increases in 2027. The first is scheduled for January under Law 199/2025, with a second taking effect July 1. According to the bill’s technical report, a pack of cigarettes would increase 10 to 13 cents per pack, depending on the price category.
The changes also affect other tobacco and nicotine products. The minimum excise duty on hand-rolling tobacco would increase from €165.50 to €169.50 per kilogram, while the rate would rise from 60.9% to 61.1%. The excise rate on heated tobacco, calculated against the cigarette equivalent, would increase from 41% to 42%. For e-cigarette liquids, the rate would rise from 20% to 22% for nicotine-containing products and from 15% to 17% for nicotine-free products.
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T&C Backs Down on Tobacco Licensing Fees
The Turks and Caicos Islands government is replacing its proposed fixed annual alcohol and tobacco import licensing fees of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively, with fees based on import value following public backlash. Under the revised proposal announced Oct. 14, alcohol importers would pay 5% of the accepted customs value of their imports. Tobacco importers would pay the higher of 5% of accepted customs value or 5% of a reference value calculated by tobacco weight. Both categories would have a minimum annual fee of $1,000. The revised fee structure remains subject to stakeholder consultation and government approval.
The government plans to maintain its licensing timetable, with businesses required to register and apply for licenses Nov. 1-30. Beginning Dec. 1, commercial alcohol and tobacco shipments imported without valid licenses could be detained, seized or forfeited. The government also proposed replacing the existing tobacco import license with a Customs tobacco import license, subject to legislative amendments.
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Germany to Discuss Annual Tobacco Tax Increases
Germany’s Bundestag is scheduled to hold a first reading Sept. 24 of a government bill that would raise taxes on cigarettes, heated tobacco, e-liquids, fine-cut tobacco, and other tobacco products annually from 2027 through 2030. The proposal would increase the weighted average retail price of a 20-cigarette pack from about €8.05 currently to €8.77 in 2027 and €11.36 by 2030. The bill is expected to move to parliamentary committees after the debate.
The government estimates the changes would generate €756 million in additional tobacco-tax revenue in 2027, rising to €3.589 billion annually by 2030. The German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Novel Products (BVTE), backed by BAT, JTI, Philip Morris, Reemtsma, and tobacco trade associations, has launched a campaign calling for lower and more predictable increases, citing concerns about legal-market sales and illicit trade.
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Indonesia Looking to Bring Illegal Cigarettes Into Fold
Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said he had met with several illegal cigarette business owners to understand their concerns and discuss bringing them into the legal tobacco-excise system. The government is preparing an additional cigarette excise tier that Purbaya hopes will give illegal producers a pathway to legalize their operations. He said businesses that take the opportunity would be brought into the formal system, while those that continue operating illegally would face enforcement.
Civil-society groups argue that creating another excise tier will not necessarily persuade illegal producers to comply and could further complicate Indonesia’s already complex cigarette tax structure, which currently has eight bands. Critics also warn that a new, potentially cheaper cigarette category could expand the availability of low-priced cigarettes, increase consumption, and ultimately raise health-care costs.
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Sri Lanka Cigarette Production Falls 32% as Tobacco Taxes Rise
Cigarette production in Sri Lanka fell 32% from 2.8 billion sticks in 2022 to 1.9 billion in 2025 following successive increases in tobacco taxes, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera told Parliament today (Aug. 20), according to The Morning.
Excise duties on cigarettes have increased four times since 2023, including increases of 20% in January and July 2023, 14% in January 2024 and 5.9% in January 2025. The government also raised VAT from 15% to 18% in January 2024 and corporate income tax from 40% to 45% in April 2025. Current cigarette excise duties range from 26.59 to 109.95 Sri Lankan rupees ($0.08 to $0.33) per cigarette, based on cigarette length.
Jayaweera said the tax policy is intended to increase government revenue while reducing healthcare costs and other socioeconomic impacts associated with tobacco use. He said higher tobacco taxes have contributed to gradual increases in direct and indirect tax revenue while supporting public-health objectives.
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Ireland Reviews Tobacco Affordability
Ireland’s Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is reviewing tobacco affordability at the request of the chief medical officer, amid little change in smoking prevalence in recent years. The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland reported that smoking among people aged 15 and older remained at about 17–18% between 2019 and 2025.
HIQA said cigarette taxation has increased the price of a 20-pack by 24% since 2020, while average weekly earnings have risen 28%, potentially making tobacco more affordable despite higher taxes. Its analysis will compare tobacco affordability in Ireland with other EU countries and the UK and assess measures including household disposable income, wage growth, and household expenditure alongside GDP.
The review will be submitted to the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health to inform future policy. Ireland has already raised the legal purchase age to 21, banned disposable vapes and bright flavor descriptors, and restricted self-service vending machines. The government is also considering a generational ban on tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products.
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Bulgaria Raises Tobacco Excise Taxes
Bulgaria increased excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products as its 2026 State Budget took effect Aug. 1. The cigarette excise rate rose from €113.51 to €120 per 1,000 cigarettes, increasing the pre-VAT price of a pack by about €0.13. The government has also scheduled further increases to €126 per 1,000 cigarettes on March 1, 2027, and €132 per 1,000 cigarettes on Jan. 1, 2028. Excise duties on smoking tobacco increased from €121.69 to €130 per kg, while the rate on heated tobacco products rose from €214 to €225 per kg.
According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance, the accelerated excise increases are intended to boost government revenue and align with ongoing European Union discussions on higher minimum tobacco tax rates. The ministry estimates the higher excise duties and related VAT collections will generate an additional €155.9 million in revenue during 2026.
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Labor Premier Breaks Ranks on Australia’s Tobacco Tax Policy
Calls are growing in Australia for the federal government to reconsider tobacco excise policy, with critics arguing high cigarette taxes are fueling the illicit tobacco market. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the “massive” excise, which adds about A$30 ($21) to a 20-pack of cigarettes, has created a price gap that benefits illegal sellers. He said the policy needs to be reviewed while emphasizing his opposition to smoking and tobacco companies.
Former law enforcement officials and lawmakers also warned that seizures alone are not addressing the scale of the illicit trade. Former Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force officer Rohan Pike said enforcement efforts are only capturing a small portion of illegal tobacco entering the country, while Liberal MP Mary Aldred said the black market is contributing to organized crime concerns. The federal government has rejected lowering excise and said it remains focused on enforcement and border seizures.
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Indonesia Adding, Not Subtracting Tobacco Tax Tiers
Indonesia’s government plans to expand the country’s tobacco excise tax structure with additional tax tiers this year, according to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. The proposal remains under discussion with the House of Representatives, but the minister said implementation would proceed after budget deliberations are completed. The government has said the additional tiers are intended to reduce illicit cigarette circulation and increase state revenue.
The plan has faced criticism from public health and civil society groups, which argue that adding more tiers to Indonesia’s already complex tobacco tax system may not effectively address illegal cigarette sales. Indonesia currently has eight excise tax groups covering machine-made and hand-rolled kretek cigarettes, and industry observers have called for simplification rather than expansion. Supporters of reforming the structure say a more balanced approach is needed to limit illicit trade while maintaining government revenue from the legal tobacco market.