No tobacco tax hike in California. Proposition 29, a ballot question that would have increased the California cigarette tax by $1 per pack and raised other tobacco products’ excise tax on an equivalent basis, was not passed by voters in a June 5 California election, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) reported. The failure…
Menthol Ban Could Fuel Black Market
The FDA is considering a ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S., a move some fear could have unintended consequences, such as a skyrocketing black market for the products. “What we’re currently facing in the U.S. is the (potential) banning of a currently legal product. We’re very concerned that would create an immediate black market…
Ontario Fights 8% Tobacco Tax
Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) is warning that if the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is introduced as planned on tobacco products, tobacco prices would grow by 8%, redirecting millions of dollars in taxes to organized crime groups. As it stands now, sales of tobacco products are not subject to Ontario, Canada’s 8% Provincial Sales Tax…
Lighting the Way
Making money in tobacco accessories—lighters, cigar cutters, humidors, pipes, rolling machines, rolling papers and even hookahs—during the months ahead may not be easy, but it can be done. Three ways to do it: offer novel items, stay on the cutting edge of trends and let customers roll their own. The payoff in 2010 could be…