Cigarette Taxes in Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts is currently $2.51.
Take a closer look at the cigarette tax dollars being collected in Massachusetts in FY2007.
| Excise Taxes | Sales Taxes | Tobacco Settlement Payments | Total Smoker Payments FY2007 | |
| State: Local: |
$418,449,000 $0 |
$71,219,000 $0 |
$243,300,000 | $732,968,000 |
Total tobacco settlement payments to Massachusetts to date (1998-2007): $2,073,900,000
Economic and Tax Profile of Massachusetts Smokers
The impact of smoker payments on the incomes of working families was disproportionately greater than the impact on the minority of smokers who have higher incomes.
- Massachusetts smokers' median household income: $46,345
- Massachusetts non-smokers' median household income: $60,886
Average Tobacco Taxes and Payments
Tax and settlement payment liability paid only by smokers in FY2007 were:
| Total average paid per Massachusetts smoker in excise and sales taxes: | $559 | Cost per Massachusetts smoker for settlement payments to Massachusetts: | $278 |
| Total annual payments to Massachusetts per smoker: | $837 |
Smoker Payment Comparisons
Payments by Massachusetts smokers in FY2007 were:- More than ten times as large as FY2007 state excise tax collections on alcoholic beverages ($71 million)
- Nearly twice as large as FY2007 insurance excise taxes ($369 million)
- More than twice as large as FY2007 financial institution excise taxes ($340.9 million)
- Larger than FY2007 Motor Fuels Taxes ($676 million)
Massachusetts smoker payments of OVER $733 MILLION were large enough to support FY2007 funding for:
- Department of Early Education and Care ($462.6 million) AND Sheriffs ($257.7 million)
OR - University of Massachusetts ($448.7 million) AND Services for Children and Families ($281.3 million)
OR - Dept. of Environmental Protection ($58.6 million) AND State Colleges ($207 million) AND Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development ($197.2 million) AND the Department of State Police ($254.6 million)
Total Smoker Cigarette Payments
click to enlarge image
| Per year: | $732,968,000 |
| Per day: | $2,006,757 |
| Per hour: | $83,615 |
| Per minute: | $1,394 |
| Per second: | $23.23 |
Help prevent more state tobacco tax increases.
Call 1.866.658.8337 or email your state representative.