North Carolina: Tobacco Excise Taxes
North Carolina Cigarette and Tobacco Excise Taxes
Total North Carolina Cigarette Taxes | Average Cost Per Pack | Ranking (Highest to Lowest) |
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$0.45 / pack | $4.87 / pack | 47th / 51 |
In addition to (or instead of) traditional sales taxes, cigarettes and other tobacco products are subject to excise taxes on both the North Carolina and Federal levels. Excise taxes on tobacco are implemented by every state, as are excises on alcohol and motor fuels like gasoline.
Current North Carolina Tobacco Excise Tax Rates
The primary excise taxes on tobacco in North Carolina are on cigarettes, though many states also have taxes on other tobacco products like cigars, snuff, or e-cigarettes. The tax on cigarettes is 45 cents per pack of 20 cigarettes, other tobacco products are taxed at 12.8% of the wholesale price and 5 cents per fluid milliliter of vapor products.
North Carolina Cigarette Tax - $0.45 / pack
In North Carolina, cigarettes are subject to a state excise tax of $0.45 per pack of 20. Cigarettes are also subject to North Carolina sales tax of approximately $0.31 per pack, which adds up to a total tax per pack of $0.76.
The average cost of a pack of cigarettes in North Carolina is $4.87, which is the 47th highest in the United States.
North Carolina Other Tobacco Products Tax - 12.80% / Wholesale Price
In North Carolina, other tobacco products are subject to a state excise tax of 12.80% / wholesale price as well as federal excise taxes (listed below).
North Carolina applies a $0.05/milliliter tax to e-cigarette and vaping liquid.
Payment of North Carolina Tobacco Excise Taxes
Payments of tobacco excise taxes are made by vendors, not by consumers, though the taxes will be passed on in the tobacco's retail price. Sales reports and payments of cigarettes and tobacco products are due on the 20th of each month.
Federal Tobacco Excise Taxes
The price of all tobacco products sold in North Carolina also includes Federal Tobacco excise taxes, which are collected from the manufacturer by the Tobacco and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and generally passed on to the consumer in the product's price. Federal excise tax rates on tobacco products are as follows:
Cigars and Cigarettes
Small Cigarettes | $50.33 per 1,000 cigarettes, or $1.01 per pack of 20 |
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Large Cigarettes | $105.69 per 1,000 cigarettes, or $2.11 per pack of 20 |
Small Cigars | $50.33 per 1,000 cigars, or $1.01 per pack of 20 |
Large Cigars | 52.75% of sales price but not to exceed $402.60 per 1,000 cigars, or $0.4026 maximum each |
Other Tobacco Products
Pipe Tobacco | $2.8311 per pound, or $0.1769 per one-ounce tin |
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Chewing Tobacco | $0.5033 per pound, or $0.0315 per one-ounce tin |
Snuff | $1.51 per pound, or $0.0944 per one-ounce tin |
Roll-your-own Tobacco | $24.78 per pound, or $1.5488 per one-ounce tin |
There are also federal excise taxes on cigarette rolling paper and cigarette tubes.
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