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Cigarette Taxes in South Carolina

Higher Taxes Affect You

ALERT: Right now, politicians in South Carolina want to increase the cigarette tax by up to $1.27 per pack. That’s an increase of more than 1800 percent! Now is the time to take action. Contact your elected officials today and make your voice heard:



Tax Facts

The excise tax on one pack of cigarettes in South Carolina is currently $0.07.


Take a closer look at the cigarette tax dollars being collected in South Carolina in FY2007.


Excise Taxes Sales Taxes Tobacco Settlement Payments Total Smoker Payments FY2007
State:
Local:
$27,554,000
$0
$63,057,000
$0
$70,800,000 $161,411,000


Total tobacco settlement payments to South Carolina to date (1998-2007): $605,600,000


Economic and Tax Profile of South Carolina 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.

  • South Carolina smokers' median household income: $32,726
  • South Carolina non-smokers' median household income: $45,627
  • 37.4% of South Carolina smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
  • Only 14.5% of South Carolina 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 South Carolina smoker in excise and sales taxes: $133
Cost per South Carolina smoker for settlement payments to South Carolina: $104
Total annual payments to South Carolina per smoker: $237

Smoker Payment Comparisons

Payments by South Carolina smokers in FY2007 were:
  • Larger than state excise taxes on alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, and liquor) for FY2007 ($155.6 million)
  • Larger than FY2007 corporation license and business license tax revenues combined ($96.8 million)
  • Larger than FY2007 insurance premium tax revenues ($159.1 million)

South Carolina smoker payments of OVER $160 MILLION were large enough to support FY2007 funding for:
  • Child Protective Services ($34.3 million) AND South Carolina State University ($110.2 million)
    OR
  • Department of Public Safety ($151.3 million)
    OR
  • Department of Natural Resources ($85.5 million) AND Infectious Disease Prevention ($65.9 million)


Total Smoker Cigarette Payments

Average Cigarette Profits
click to enlarge image
Per year: $161,411,000
Per day: $441,919
Per hour: $18,413
Per minute: $307
Per second: $5.11


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