Excise Taxes
Washington Ranks Third Among the States in Black Market Cigarette Consumption
High levels of cigarette smuggling are linked to high excise taxes on legal tobacco, report claims
Washington has the third highest rate of inbound cigarette-smuggling activity in the nation, with an estimated 42.8% of total cigarette consumption in the state involving smuggled tobacco, according to a new report by the Tax Foundation. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank, devoted to analyzing and assessing tax policy, puts the blame for the high rate…