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News: California’s SB 768 Stalls

California Senate Bill 768, which would more than double the tax on cigars and other tobacco products as a byproduct of a $2 increase on the tax on cigarettes, has stalled temporarily in committee. On May 20, the state senate’s Appropriations Committee voted 6-0 to place the bill in its suspense file, effectively slowing down [...]

News: Massachusetts Considering Tobacco Tax Increase

In an attempt to find $1.9 billion in new revenues, Massachusetts will soon be considering increases on tobacco taxes, including a jump on the taxes levied on premium cigars. House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray are proposing an across-the-board increase on tobacco products sold in the state. On cigars and smoking tobacco, [...]

News: President Obama to Propose Increased Tobacco Taxes

President Obama will be including an increase in federal taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products when he releases his budget proposal, according to a report in the New York Times. The proposal comes as a solution to provide aid to states to that they can provide free prekindergarten education. Mr. Obama is scheduled to [...]

News: Arkansas Caps Cigar Tax

Governor Mike Beebe signed House Bill 1531 into law on Tuesday morning, which caps the excise tax on cigars at 50 cents per cigar effective October 1, 2013. The purpose of the bill was “to ensure the long-term funding of certain health care programs by encouraging in-state purchase of certain tobacco products.” The bill was [...]

Press Release: IPCPR Opposes Excise Tax Increase Legislation in New Mexico

February 27, 2013 (Columbus, Ga.) – House Bill (H.B.) 428, proposes increasing the state’s Other Tobacco Products (OTP) excise tax (the tax levied on tobacco products not tax as cigarettes), from 25% to 53%, a 112% increase. In conjunction with key IPCPR retail members, the Cigar Association of America (CAA), is actively lobbying in opposition to [...]

News: Georgia Considers Cigar Tax Changes

Reports of cigar importers in Georgia going across state lines to buy product in tax-free Florida and then pocketing the tax they should be forwarding to the state has the Peach State’s senators looking at changes that could bring in a reported $15 million of lost revenue annually. In a story originally reported by the [...]

Press Release: Missouri Small Businesses Fear Tobacco Tax Hike

October 26, 2012 (Jefferson, MO) — Proposition B, a proposed 150% tax increase on cigars and pipe tobacco is causing Missouri tobacconists concern. Politicians claim the tax hike will help fund education and health care, while small business owners are criticizing the open attack on their businesses. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association [...]

News: Michigan Legislature Approves 50-Cent Cigar Tax Cap

The Michigan Legislature approved Senate Bill 1004, a piece of legislation that would put into place a 50-cent cigar tax on November 1st. The bill now heads to Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk for his signature. In a news release, the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers cited “diligent, long work and effort” by a group [...]

Press Release: Missouri Seeks to Dramatically Hike Tobacco Tax, IPCPR Opposes

September 27, 2012 (Jefferson, MO) – Proposition B, a proposed 150% tax increase on cigars and pipe tobacco, in addition to a 760% tax increase on cigarettes, is causing quite a stir in Missouri. Politicians claim the tax hike will help fund education and health care, while small business owners are criticizing the open attack on [...]

Press Release: Premium Tobacconists Oppose Omaha City Council Tax Plan

September 25, 2012 (Omaha, NE) — A recently proposed occupation tax in Omaha, Nebraska threatens to levy a 7% tax on sales of all tobacco products. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) strongly opposes this “specialty tax” as it will be detrimental to area premium cigar and pipe retailers. The tax is designed to raise funds for a University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) expansion. UNMC has $1.2 billion dollars available, [...]