Cigarette Taxes in New York

Tax News

In June 2008, the New York cigarette excise tax increased from $1.50 to $2.75 per pack, which is highest cigarette excise tax in the nation.




Tax Facts

The excise tax on one pack of cigarettes in New York is currently $2.75.


Take a closer look at the cigarette tax dollars being collected in New York in FY2007.


Excise Taxes Sales Taxes Tobacco Settlement Payments Total Smoker Payments FY2007
State:
Local:
 $936,457,000
$227,689,500		 $136,985,000
$0		 $768,600,000 $2,069,731,500


Total tobacco settlement payments to New York to date (1998-2007): $6,552,800,000


Economic and Tax Profile of New York 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.

  • New York smokers' median household income: $33,838
  • New York non-smokers' median household income: $49,121
  • 36.9% of New York smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
  • Only 17.5% of New York 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 New York smoker in excise and sales taxes: $491
Cost per New York smoker for settlement payments to New York: $290
Total annual payments to New York per smoker: $781

Smoker Payment Comparisons

Payments by New York smokers in FY2007 were:
  • More than 10.5 times as large as estimated FY2007 state excise taxes on alcoholic beverages ($195.9 million)
  • Nearly four times as large as estimated FY2007 motor fuels tax collections ($518.6 million)
  • Larger than estimated FY2007 insurance tax revenues ($1.226 billion)

New York smoker payments of OVER $2 BILLION were large enough to support FY2007 funding for:
  • The State University of New York, general funds only ($1.603 billion)
    OR
  • The Division of State Police ($648 million) AND Economic Development and Government Oversight ($1.248 billion)
    OR
  • The City University of New York ($1.331 billion)


Total Smoker Cigarette Payments

Average Cigarette Profits
click to enlarge image
Per year: $2,069,731,500
Per day: $5,666,616
Per hour: $236,109
Per minute: $3,935
Per second: $65.59


Help prevent more state tobacco tax increases.
Call 1.877.857.8074 or email your state representative.