E-cigarettes threaten tax revenue (finally someone said it)

[tppp]

Took a while, but finally an Italian MEP has asked how they're supposed to maintain tax revenues as more and more people switch to ecigs

Italy’s coffers registered a loss of EUR 132 million, corresponding to a fall in revenue from duty on tobacco of approximately 7.6%. Of course, this shortfall cannot be completely blamed on the increasing use of electronic cigarettes, but it is certainly partly responsible.

In light of the above, can the Council state what action it intends to take to address the differences in tax revenue materialising in State coffers following the proliferation of electronic cigarettes, which currently appear to be free from any form of duty?

Full article here, makes a good read.

 

[vjc0628]

Def good read

And its important to note that this attitude goes beyond eciggs and ciggeretts

 

[JulesXsmokr]

We here, have known this all along.. (at least the people who use their brain for thinking do)
What they will do to keep their revenue stream is a nightmare!! Has nothing to do with the health of anyone...

 

[Vaslovik]

Well if they lose too much tax money to e-cigs they might start billing us for oxygen. Then too, they could tax us for the C02 we exhale cuz it contributes to "global warming." It would not surprise me in the least.

Just sayin....

 

[TyPie]

Why, the answer, of course, is to tax the HELL out of ecig procusts and supplies. (Of COURSE!)
The part they conveniently leave out (of COURSE), is that the REAL addiction is to the unlimited and never-ending stream of income to governments from
tax revenue. (It is likely one of the worst addictions.)

 

[Vaslovik]

Why, the answer, of course, is to tax the HELL out of ecig procusts and supplies. (Of COURSE!)

Or they can slap a $1 per milligram tax on nicotine. Then they could charge you a LOT more for your potatoes and tomatoes as well as screwing you on your juice.

 

[SupplyDaddy]

Well if they lose too much tax money to e-cigs they might start billing us for oxygen. Then too, they could tax us for the C02 we exhale cuz it contributes to "global warming." It would not surprise me in the least.

Just sayin....

But but but.. Now they are saying we are hitting another Ice Age again...

 

[AgentAnia]

Well... I don't know about the Council, but the first thought in my mind was CUT YER SPENDING! You said you wanted smokers to quit smoking. We're quitting. Now live with it...

 

[Vaslovik]

But but but.. Now they are saying we are hitting another Ice Age again...

Well that's covered, cuz now the big crisis is *CLIMATE CHANGE* so now they can stick us for anything the weather does. And OH... didn't you hear that Obama is now down on water vapor in the atmosphere? Yep! He's now campaigning to crack down on dihydrogen monoxide (water for you lay folks) and ranting about it being a major greenhouse gas. You are killing polar bears with every vape you take!

One wonders what he will do about all the horrid clouds in the sky....

Perhaps now the EPA will declare rain to be a dangerous pollutant.

 

[Abbell]

Nicotine would be the only logical thing that would be taxed. Taxing the "delivery" system would fail for a few reasons.

Several people vape 0 nicotine which means it has NO relation to tobacco products

Vaporizers can be built out of almost anything

While currently vaping supplies are listed as e-cig tanks. atmoziers, cartomizers, etc... it would take little to no effort to relist them for other uses.

VG, PG and food flavorings are bought and sold for other uses other than vaping

 

[ScottP]

But but but.. Now they are saying we are hitting another Ice Age again...

Where did you hear that? They said that in the 70's too. It's the whole reason we have catalytic convertors on our cars today.

 

[ScottP]

We here, have known this all along.. (at least the people who use their brain for thinking do)
What they will do to keep their revenue stream is a nightmare!! Has nothing to do with the health of anyone...

This, exactly this. They pretend to want people to quit, but what they really want is the tax money. If they can't figure out a way to tax eCigs then they WILL raise taxes somewhere else. One thing you can bet on is that governments will not be cheated out of their ill-begotten tax dollars that they need to waste on their pet projects.

 

[dr g]

Folks don't conflate this with climate change. Tobacco taxes, like climate change, have scientific basis (social costs of medical problems). Ecig taxes do not.

 

[RBBR]

It was only a matter of time before someone in government( any government) slipped up and said what they meant. The taxman will get their pound of flesh, one way or another.

 

[Vaslovik]

Well the so called "sin taxes" are levied against things they consider unhealthy, like liquor and tobacco, but of course the liquor and tobacco industries march merrily on, heavily taxed, so clearly it's not about anyone's health, but how much money they can pick our pockets for. All they need is a good enough excuse. If they tax nicotine how far off is a caffeine tax?

 

[vjc0628]

Folks don't conflate this with climate change. Tobacco taxes, like climate change, have scientific basis (social costs of medical problems). Ecig taxes do not.

That's why they changed it too climate change
when those pesky facts kept getting in the way

 

[vjc0628]

Folks don't conflate this with climate change. Tobacco taxes, like climate change, have scientific basis (social costs of medical problems). Ecig taxes do not.

Besides If they are sooo concerned about us then why tax us instead of making ciggs illegal?

 

[ScottP]

Besides If they are sooo concerned about us then why tax us instead of making ciggs illegal?

...because they tried that with alcohol and look how well that worked. In fact there are already many other substances that are illegal yet are still sold in every city, in every state, 24x7, 365 days a year.

 

[dr g]

Besides If they are sooo concerned about us then why tax us instead of making ciggs illegal?

Because the freedom to choose to do unhealthy things is better than the lack of that freedom. However the social costs need to be accounted for.

 

[vjc0628]

...because they tried that with alcohol and look how well that worked. In fact there are already many other substances that are illegal yet are still sold in every city, in every state, 24x7, 365 days a year.

?? that's the excuse for excessive taxing not being about money???

when did taxing eradicate smoking I must have missed that one