Possible Tax Increase on Cigarettes

A bill has recently been introduced in the WV House of Delegates that could raise taxes on cigarettes, beer, and smokeless tobacco. If passed, House Bill 2681 would eliminate the consumer sales and service tax on food and shift the nearly 70 million dollars generated from the food tax to the luxury products previously mentioned. Under this proposal, the tax on nonintoxicating beer would go up from $5.50 per barrel to $6.35, the cigarette tax would rise from $0.55 to $1.35 per pack, and smokeless tobacco would go from seven percent to fourteen percent.

A separate bill that would increase the beer tax has been circulating throughout the House. A public hearing will be held this evening to further discuss the beer tax amendment.