Cigarette Taxes in Mississippi

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 Mississippi is currently $0.68.

Take a closer look at the cigarette tax dollars being collected in Mississippi in FY2008.

	Excise Taxes	Sales Taxes	Tobacco Settlement Payments	Total Smoker Payments FY2008
State: Local:	$49,153,000 $0	$66,083,000 $0	$123,100,000	$238,336,000

Total tobacco settlement payments to Mississippi to date (1998-2008): $1,764,900,000

Economic and Tax Profile of Mississippi 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.

• Mississippi smokers' median household income: $29,629
• Mississippi non-smokers' median household income: $39,863
• 42.6% of Mississippi smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
• Only 14.6% of Mississippi 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 FY2008 were:

Total average paid per Mississippi smoker in excise and sales taxes:	$224
Cost per Mississippi smoker for settlement payments to Mississippi:	$239
Total annual payments to Mississippi per smoker:	$464

Smoker Payment Comparisons

Payments by Mississippi smokers in FY2008 were:

• More than twice as large as FY2008 alcoholic beverage, beer, and wine tax receipts ($100 million)
• Larger than FY2007 insurance premium taxes ($176 million)
More than three times as large as FY2008 oil severance tax revenues ($76.3 million)
• More than twice as large as FY2008 privilege tax for auto tag fees ($113.6 million)

Mississippi smoker payments of OVER $238 MILLION were large enough to support FY2008 funding for:

• Community and Junior Colleges ($192.1 million)
  OR
• Department of Corrections ($152.6 million) AND Highway Safety Patrol ($54.3 million)
  OR
• Agriculture and Commerce and Agricultural Units at State Institutions of Higher Learning ($91.6 million) AND Public Health

Help prevent more state tobacco tax increases.
Call 1.866.658.8337 or email your state representative.