Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2025 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

[JustJulie]

SF 2025 would significantly raise taxes on all e-liquid consumers in Minnesota by imposing a 30 cent per ml tax on e-cigarette liquid. Imagine paying an extra $9 on your next 30 ml bottle of e-liquid. While Minnesota’s existing system of taxation for e-cigarettes is inappropriate, this taxation system will raise your costs and should be rejected.

This bill has been referred to the Senate Taxes Committee and could be set for a hearing as early as next week. The Taxes Committee generally meets Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM in Saint Paul, so if you are able to attend, please be ready for an early morning.

Please take 3 minutes to send a fully editable email urging your senator to oppose this bill.

• Oppose an Increase in Vapor Taxes in Minnesota
  
  • Send an Email

If you live in a district represented by someone on the committee, you will receive an additional alert prompting you to take action. It is vitally important that you especially take action due to the fact that legislators consider the views of their constituents with greater weight.

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(Writing Tip #1) If you have a lot to say, please craft your email in a separate word doc and then copy/paste it into the field provided. If you take too long, they system will time out and you will lose your work.

(Writing Tip #2) Although we've provided a prewritten email with compelling talking points, we would strongly encourage you to edit the email because personalized communications to legislators are far more persuasive than form letters. At a minimum, PLEASE INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY (just a few sentences) in the text of your email.

Link to Call to Action: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2105 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

 

[pianoguy]

Done - thanks, Julie!

 

[squee]

Interesting.

This bill wants to remove vapor products from the 95% wholesale tax arena and replace it with just a simple tax on liquid only - albeit, not a small one.

Very interesting, indeed....

 

[TLS01]

The state had a $2 BILLION surplus, now they want more. $$$

 

[Rathamar]

My Email has been sent.

 

[Rathamar]

Just received my response from Sen David Osmek
Quote -
"With two BILLION in spare change, I don't support ANY tax increase at this time."

 

[skoony]

Interesting.

This bill wants to remove vapor products from the 95% wholesale tax arena and replace it with just a simple tax on liquid only - albeit, not a small one.

Very interesting, indeed....

there is not nor has there ever been a 95% wholesale
tax on vaper related products in Minnesota.
the tax was for only pre-filled cartomizers for cigalikes
and required the wholesale tobacco distributors to
collect it.
problem one, the wholesale tobacco distributors never
sold cigalikes. independent distributors did. the only
tax paid is the regular state sales tax as with everything
else.
regards
mike
p.s.,the proposed tax is still bullocks.

 

[JustJulie]

We've updated the Call to Action to include a second campaign, this one for HF 2182: Send a Message

If you've already participated in the Call to Action for SF 2025, please take a moment to send an email for HF 2182. And if you live in Minnesota and haven't done either . . . get busy.

Link to updated CTA: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2025 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

 

[JustJulie]

Also, MNVA has updated its Call to Action to note:

The Senate Taxes Committee has scheduled SF2025 for a hearing. The committee will meet beginning at 8:30AM on Wednesday, April 15th at the State Capitol, Room 15. If you are able to attend this hearing to oppose the massive tax increase on e-liquid, please do so.

We'll be sending out emails to our Minnesota members this weekend to let them know about the hearing. If you can attend, please do so.

 

[pianoguy]

Thanks again, Julie!

 

[JustJulie]

(Update - 04.15.15)

HF 2182 has been scheduled for an informal hearing on THURSDAY, April 16th at 10:15 AM in the House Taxes Committee. Although public testimony will not be heard, Minnesota Vapers Advocacy invites you to join them for a rally at the capitol. The gathering begins at 9:45 AM. In the interim, please continue to send emails urging lawmakers to oppose this bill.

SF 2025 has been taken off of the schedule for 4-15-15 Senate Taxes Committee hearing. However, this is not an indication that the bill is dead. It is still quite possible that SF 2025 will be rescheduled at a later date. Please continue to send emails urging lawmakers to oppose this bill.



Please take 3 minutes to send two fully editable emails urging your lawmakers to oppose these bills.

• Oppose an Increase in Vapor Taxes in Minnesota
  
  • Oppose SF 2025 - Send an Email
    
  • Oppose HF 2182 - Send an Email

 

[JustJulie]

Sunday, 4-19-15:

Heads up . . . new Call to Action . . . same lipstick, but on a different pig . . .

The vapor tax* language from HF 2182 has been added to an amendment that will be offered in the House Taxes Committee for HF 848. Public testimony will be heard.


This hearing is scheduled for

MONDAY, April 20th
12:00 PM
10 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN​

If adopted, this amendment would:

• Enact a 30 cent per milliliter tax on eliquid*
  
• Include devices and hardware in the state’s definition of “tobacco products.”

Please take action NOW by sending a message** to your state representative urging them to oppose this amendment.

• Oppose Vapor Taxes in MN - Send an Email

*Currently the tax on e-liquid in Minnesota is a 95% wholesale tax on nicotine. By altering the statute to tax the “consumable product” instead of just the nicotine contained in e-liquid, makes this is a huge increase.


** If you are a member of MNVA or any other state THR Advocacy association, please include that in the closing of your email as well.

---

(Writing Tip #1) If you have a lot to say, please craft your email in a separate word doc and then copy/paste it into the field provided. If you take too long, they system will time out and you will lose your work.
(Writing Tip #2) Although we've provided a prewritten email with compelling talking points, we would strongly encourage you to edit the email because personalized communications to legislators are far more persuasive than form letters. At a minimum, PLEASE INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY (just a few sentences) in the text of your email.

Link to new Call to Action: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose an unjustifiable tax hike on vapor products (HF 848 Amendment)

 

[skoony]

with a projected 2 billion dollars in extra revenue they want a new tax.
meanwhile i cannot afford beef as a decent cut would add 10 dollars per
meal to my budget for my wife and me.
regards
mike

 

[roosterado]

there is not nor has there ever been a 95% wholesale
tax on vaper related products in Minnesota.
the tax was for only pre-filled cartomizers for cigalikes
and required the wholesale tobacco distributors to
collect it.
problem one, the wholesale tobacco distributors never
sold cigalikes. independent distributors did. the only
tax paid is the regular state sales tax as with everything
else.
regards
mike
p.s.,the proposed tax is still bullocks.

There is a 95% Tax at the wholesale Level in Mn for E-Liquid. That's the reason a Vape Convention Will not come to the Twin Cites-Juice Venders would have to pay that tax for the Bottles of Juice they would give away at Meet. The E-Liquid Tax law can be looked up at The Minnesota Government Website

 

[roosterado]

$.30 per mil Tax Bill will be heard in a 2nd Committee Thursday. E-mail to your District Reps Urgently needed. CASAA Has a Mn Call to Action-makes it easy to E-mail your Representatives

 

[roosterado]

There is a E-Mail Challenge and Give Away associated with this tax bill

 

[skoony]

There is a 95% Tax at the wholesale Level in Mn for E-Liquid. That's the reason a Vape Convention Will not come to the Twin Cites-Juice Venders would have to pay that tax for the Bottles of Juice they would give away at Meet. The E-Liquid Tax law can be looked up at The Minnesota Government Website

thats a 2009 law i believe. read the whole thing. the only products available
were pre-filled carto's and cigalikes. there wasn't any thing else in the
state at the time. the law says 95% tax on the wholesale level for each
pre-filled cartridge. i think they didn't realize the tobacco wholesalers
were not even in the distribution process. i do not think they even
collected any tax as the retail price locally for cigalikes was not
much different than online pricing.unless the cigalike makers were
paying it. locally premium blends are about 20 dollars per 30 ml.
and dropping.i think that's pretty low for B&M pricing.
i am getting A1 juice for one dollar for 10 ml after it expires one year
after the manufacturing date.A1 is LIQUA's generic house blend.they
seem to be the largest out of state maker to penetrate the local market.
most of the juice here is made in Minnesota. a lot of it right at the
shops.
when i was getting carto's locally they were about 20.00 a 5 pac.
online they were 14.95 a 5 pac. is there enough room for a 95%
wholesale tax? as for the convention i believe the law requires the
state sale tax (7.5%) to be paid.



mike

 

[roosterado]

thats a 2009 law i believe. read the whole thing. the only products available
were pre-filled carto's and cigalikes. there wasn't any thing else in the
state at the time. the law says 95% tax on the wholesale level for each
pre-filled cartridge. i think they didn't realize the tobacco wholesalers
were not even in the distribution process. i do not think they even
collected any tax as the retail price locally for cigalikes was not
much different than online pricing.unless the cigalike makers were
paying it. locally premium blends are about 20 dollars per 30 ml.
and dropping.i think that's pretty low for B&M pricing.
i am getting A1 juice for one dollar for 10 ml after it expires one year
after the manufacturing date.A1 is LIQUA's generic house blend.they
seem to be the largest out of state maker to penetrate the local market.
most of the juice here is made in Minnesota. a lot of it right at the
shops.
when i was getting carto's locally they were about 20.00 a 5 pac.
online they were 14.95 a 5 pac. is there enough room for a 95%
wholesale tax? as for the convention i believe the law requires the
state sale tax (7.5%) to be paid.
"I’m going to let you in on a secret that has been both a plague for out of state eliquid makers and a boon for those who had started their businesses in Minnesota" - See more at: Public Health Org And Vapers Working Together In MN? - Mt Baker Vapor

Public Health Org And Vapers Working Together In MN? - Mt Baker Vapor


mike

I know Vape Shop Owners and Members of MNVapors Advocacy who say the reason most E-Liquid in Mn shops is made in Mn is to avoid the 95% Wholesale Tax

 

[roosterado]

"Unfortunately, this also meant that this cost would apply to all out of state eliquid makers wishing for Minnesota companies to sell their liquids, unless they were willing to allow their products to be re-bottled, in which case they could have just their liquid wholesaled into the state to have nicotine added later. - See more at: Public Health Org And Vapers Working Together In MN? - Mt Baker Vapor"

 

[skoony]

I know Vape Shop Owners and Members of MNVapors Advocacy who say the reason most E-Liquid in Mn shops is made in Mn is to avoid the 95% Wholesale Tax

they must mean the prefilled carto's. the law specifically states each prefilled cartridge.there is no tax on bottled juice and hardware other than the regular state sales tax.

An electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is a device that simulates smoking tobacco. In Minnesota, e-cigarettes and e-juice which contain nicotine derived from tobacco meet the definition of a tobacco product found in (Minnesota Statutes, section 297F.01, subdivision 19).

E-cigarettes are Taxable
E-cigarettes and e-juice are considered tobacco products and are subject to the Tobacco Tax, which is currently 95% of the wholesale cost of any product containing or derived from tobacco. For example, "the Tobacco Tax on an e-cigarette starter kit is calculated on the total cost unless the nicotine cartridges are sold separately and then the tax would only be on the nicotine cartridge value. Similarly, a disposable e-cigarette may have the tax calculated on its nicotine cartridge value if the cartridge is replaceable."(italics mine)
E-cigarettes
this is pertaining to cigalikes. as i have said before they presumed the tobacco wholesalers would
collect it.the tobacco wholesalers to my knowledge never distributed e-cigarettes as they were the
competition. no tobacco company owned a e-cigarette brand at the time. i have noticed the tobacco
and e-B&M's have dropped or drastically reduced cigalikes all together.perhaps the state was
going after the cigalike tax.

mike