Cigarette Taxes in South Carolina
Tax News
There are currently no proposals to increase cigarette taxes in South Carolina.
However, your help is still needed to fight potential federal excise tax increases. Contact your member of congress today and make your voice heard:
- Call your member of congress 1.877.857.8074 (toll-free)
- Email your member of congress
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
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.
