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Excise Taxes on Vapor Products Are Trending
While lawmakers are working through the design of vapor tax proposals, they must thread the needle between protecting adult smokers’ ability to switch and barring minors’ access to nicotine products. A good first step is creating appropriate definitions for the new nicotine products to avoid unintended disproportionate taxation based on design differences or bundling.
7 min read
Maryland Legislature Seeks Revenue with Risky Proposals
One notable consequence of high state tobacco excise tax rates is increased smuggling as people procure discounted products from low-tax states and sell them in high-tax states. Smugglers wouldn’t have to look far to find cheaper smokes. All of Maryland’s neighboring states have rates lower than $4 per pack, including Virginia ($1.20) and West Virginia ($0.30). Such an increase would impact the many small business owners operating vape shops around the state and convenience stores relying heavily on vapers as well as tobacco sales.
7 min read
Banning Flavored Tobacco Could Have Unintended Consequences
The prospect of a ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products highlights the complications of contradictory tax and regulatory policy, the instability of excise taxes that go beyond pricing in the cost of externalities, and the public risks of driving consumers into the black market through excessive taxation or regulation.
6 min read
Taxing Nicotine Products: A Primer
New nicotine products, along with a greater consciousness about the dangers of smoking, have prompted millions to give up smoking. This has contributed to federal and state excise tax collections on tobacco products declining since 2010. Our new report outlines the best way to tax nicotine products based on health outcomes and revenue stability.
49 min read
Tax Trends at the Dawn of 2020
From remote sales tax collection to taxes on marijuana and vaping products, we recap the top state tax trends from 2019 and break down which ones you should watch for in 2020.
38 min read
Virginia Governor Looks to Excise Taxes
The proposed budget reflects a growing trend as policymakers across the country look to excise taxes as long-term solutions to budget woes. While excise taxes can be a part of the revenue picture, they are not a sustainable revenue source due to their narrow base, which is easily affected by changes in consumer behavior or market conditions.
2 min read
State Tax Changes as of January 1, 2020
This year was a significant one for state tax policy, and the wide range of changes taking effect January 1, 2020, reflects the scope and intensity of that activity. With states continuing to grapple with issues like the taxation of international income and collections obligations for remote sellers and marketplace facilitators, the coming year is unlikely to be any quieter.
23 min read



Vaping Taxes by State, 2019
3 min read



Tax Trends Heading Into 2019
In 2019, key trends in state tax policy include reductions in corporate tax rates, updating sales tax systems to include remote online sales, taxes on marijuana and sports betting, gross receipts taxes, and more. Explore our new 2019 guide!
32 min read
Vaping Taxes by State, 2018
A variety of taxing methods and a wide range of rates indicates that there is little consensus on the best way to levy vapor taxes in the U.S.
3 min read
Vaping Taxes by State, 2017
2 min read
Vaping Taxes by State, 2016
3 min read