Alaska legislators are considering add a 75% state tax on vaping devices and e-liquids

Alaska legislators are considering add a 75% state tax on vaping devices and e-liquids

In December 2019, the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco increased from 18 to 21. That applied to all products — including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes.

The new bill would add a 75% state tax on vaping devices, e-liquids and other components. Currently, Petersburg’s tax is two dollars a pack for cigarettes and 45% on other tobacco and vaping products, approved by local voters in 2014. Other municipalities are also collecting tax on those products. And business owners say they’re already feeling the impact, some of them losing customers by raising prices and arguing that the move will lead more e-cigarette users to return to cigarettes.

The bills didn’t make it far in the state House and Senate this year but will carry over to the next regular session. And with more and more Alaskan cities increasing taxes on tobacco products.

Raising taxes also helps fund the state’s tobacco prevention programs. In a sponsor statement for the bill in the House, Juneau Democrat Sara Hannan said the new tax would raise approximately $2.5 million annually. Alaska spent $9.1 million in fiscal year 2021 on tobacco prevention.

Lithuania Parliament Considers Bill to Amend Excise Tax Rates for Alcohol, Tobacco

The Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) June 14 accepted for consideration Bill No. XIVP-636, amending excise tax rates on alcohol and tobacco products. The bill includes annual excise tax rates for 2022-24, for: 1) ethyl alcohol and alcoholic beverages; 2) heating tobacco products and e-cigarette liquid; 3) intermediate products with an actual alcoholic strength based on volume; and 4) manufactured and unmanufactured tobacco. The bill also provides a Feb. 15, 2022, excise duty filing and payment deadline. The law would generally enter into force Jan. 1, 2022.