Missouri Voters Reject Two Tax Increase Proposals

Missouri will not have an increase on the taxes on cigars and other tobacco products.

Voters in Missouri rejected two separate ballot measures that would have increased the taxes on cigarettes, one of which would have also increased the taxes on cigars and other tobacco products.

Proposition A would increase the tax on cigarettes from 17 cents per pack to 40 cents per pack, as well as increase the tax on other tobacco products from 10 percent to 15 percent. This means a cigar with a suggested retail price of $10.50 would cost $11.29 before sales tax, it currently likely retails for around $11 in Missouri.

Constitutional Amendment 3 would have raised the cigarette tax to 60 cents per pack, though it would have no effect on the taxes on cigars.

With 88 percent of the vote reported, Proposition A had more support than Constitutional Amendment 3, the former had garnered 1.048 million votes (45 percent) in favor compared to 955,000 votes (40 percent) for Amendment 3.