New York City “is the highest net importer of smuggled cigarettes, totaling 56.8 percent of total cigarette consumption in the state,” according to a recent report.
The report said that “smuggling in New York has risen sharply since 2006 (59 percent) as has the tax rate (190 percent).” New York state has a state tax of $4.35 per pack, and the city adds on another $1.50.
It concluded that New York has “the worst smuggling problem in America,” said Scott Drenkard, director of state projects with the Tax Foundation, costing the city an estimated $740 million in 2015 — and the state about $895 million on top of that. Drenkard blamed the black market’s success on “the highest cigarette taxes in the nation.” Read more at NEW YORK POST.
{Matzav.com}
