Cigarette Taxes in Arkansas
Higher Taxes Affect You
State legislators can push for higher cigarette taxes at anytime. That's why it's important for you to make your voice heard on this important issue by contacting your elected officials today.
- Call your elected officials: 1.866.658.8337 (toll-free)
- Email your elected officials
Tax Facts
The excise tax on one pack of cigarettes in Arkansas is currently $1.15.
Take a closer look at the cigarette tax dollars being collected in Arkansas in FY2008.
| Excise Taxes | Sales Taxes | Tobacco Settlement Payments | Total Smoker Payments FY2008 | |
| State: Local: |
$128,865,000 $0 |
$51,546,000 $0 |
$57,300,000 | $237,711,000 |
Total tobacco settlement payments to Arkansas to date (1998-2008): $505,200,000
Economic and Tax Profile of Arkansas Smokers
The impact of smoker payments on the incomes of working families was disproportionately greater — more than THREE TIMES higher — than the impact on the minority of smokers who have higher incomes.
- Arkansas smokers' median household income: $29,988
- Arkansas non-smokers' median household income: $46,414
- 42.6% of Arkansas smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
- Only 10.6% of Arkansas smokers had household incomes EQUAL TO or GREATER THAN $75,000
Average Tobacco Taxes and Payments
Tax and settlement payment liability paid only by smokers in FY2007 were:
| Total average paid per Arkansas smoker in excise and sales taxes: | $380 | Cost per Arkansas smoker for settlement payments to Arkansas: | $120 |
| Total annual payments to Arkansas per smoker: | $500 |
Smoker Payment Comparisons
Payments by Arkansas smokers in FY2008 were:- Nearly six times FY2008 revenues from alcoholic beverages ($41.2 million)
- Nearly two and one-half times as large as FY2008 insurance tax revenues ($95.2 million)
- Nearly 12 times as large as FY2008 severance tax revenues ($18.4 million)
Arkansas smoker payments of OVER $237 MILLION were large enough to support FY2008 funding for:
- State Police ($102.9 million) AND Department of Community Correction ($75.8 million) AND Department of Emergency Management ($33 million)
OR - Municipal Aid ($103.5 million) AND Department of Environmental Quality ($46.1 million) AND Game and Fish Commission ($71 million)
Total Smoker Cigarette Payments
click to enlarge image
| Per year: | $237,711,000 |
| Per day: | $650,817 |
| Per hour: | $27,117 |
| Per minute: | $452 |
| Per second: | $7.53 |
Help prevent more state tobacco tax increases.
Call 1.877.857.8074 or email your state representative.
