Tax Increase: Get Ready To Pay More For Cigarettes In New York State

If you smoke cigarettes, you're going to pay more for them in New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul announced highlights from the state's 2024 FY Budget, which includes a tax increase on cigarettes. Initially, Gov. Hochul wanted to ban certain types of cigarettes in New York State but didn't, so I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

According to the New York State Department of Health, 12 percent of adults in New York State smoke. While the number has decreased from 14.1% in 2017 to 12.0% in 2020, that is still more than a million smokers in the state. Smoking and secondhand smoke kill over 22,000 people each year in New York State. According to the NYS Department of Health,

An estimated 30% of all cancer deaths are related to cigarette smoking, and about 90% of all lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking.

 

New York State Increases Tax On Cigarettes

If you're a resident, you already know New York State has high taxes on pretty much every and anything, but it especially likes to tax certain 'bad habit' items, including cigarettes. Prior to the new budget legislation passing, New York's cigarette tax was already among the highest in the nation,

Cigarettes and little cigars - $4.35 per pack and an additional $1.50 per pack in NYC

According to Tobacco Free Kids, this tax increase pushes New York State into the #1 spot of highest cigarette taxes in the United States. Previously, we were in second place, behind D.C., which levies a $4.50 tax on cigarettes.

New York State Increases Cigarette Tax By $1

The new revenue bill that passed as a part of the 2024 FY Budget includes a tax increase on all cigarettes sold in the state, with the exception of native cigarette sales,

Such tax on cigarettes shall be at the rate of five dollars and thirty-five cents for each twenty cigarettes or fraction thereof, provided, however, that if a package of cigarettes contains more than twenty cigarettes, the rate of tax on the cigarettes in such package in excess of twenty shall be one dollar and thirty-three and three-quarters cents for every five cigarettes or fraction thereof. Such tax is intended to be imposed upon only one sale of the same package of cigarettes.

It would seem that the legislation de-incentivizes buying cartons since the tax per each additional 5 cigarettes (above 20) is $1.35 and 3/4 cents.

Get our free mobile app