We Need Your Help!
Support the Tax Cap
Why Do We Need Your Help?
Local cigar shops in New York State are in real trouble, and they need your help. The 75% state excise tax on premium cigars is literally driving them out of business. A number of shops have already closed their doors, taking with them jobs, lost tax revenue and so much more…others are holding on hoping for relief.
How Important is the Premium Cigar Industry Culturally and Economically?
Far too many people do not understand the full scope and positive impact of the premium cigar industry from a national perspective in the United States let alone the global perspective. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people employed in the growing, production and distribution of premium cigars. The Dominican Republic alone exports over $500 million dollars in premium cigars each year…when you add in the other countries it is much more.
Here’s What You Can Do…
First, if you are cigar smoker we need you to join NYTA to help fund our lobbying and communications efforts. Next, I urge you to contact your Assembly and Senate representatives and ask them to support bills A8156 and S6741, which will create a flat tax cap of 50 cents each on premium cigars.
If you are an Assembly Member or Senator in NYS, we urge you to support these bills and help make this a reality. This new plan will be a financial win-win for both NYS and the cigar shops currently suffering under the burden of the 75% tax rate.
Please Email your State Senator and Assembly Member
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES
Learn More From Our Members
We Did Our Homework
New York State can keep small business strong with a premium cigar cap of 50 cents to allow over 200 NYS retailers to keep customers from spending their dollars in neighboring states. As the map shows premium cigar tax caps are in-place in the northeast in CT, RI, VT, and there is no tax at all in NH and PA.
NYS premium cigar buyers are opting to buy online mail order and out of state – to avoid the burden of the NYS 75% tax on Premium Cigars. We are asking for support of a Premium Cigar cap of 50 cents on Premium Cigars only. This will serve as a revenue generator, small business economic engine, and statewide assist to over 200 small businesses.
Articles
Click on an article to read more
- A Brief History of the Cigar Indsutry | Cigar Aficionado
- Cigar Culture | Cigar Aficionado
- Dominican Republic: Cigars Make An Impact | Cigar Journal
- From the Field & Farms: Notes from Nicaragua | PCA
- Congress must act to save America’s cigar industry from going up in smoke | Tampa Bay Times
- Up in smoke: New Jersey lawmaker wants to extinguish Pennsylvania’s cigar tax advantage | The Center Square
- Delaware Bill That Would Cut State Tax Rate In Half Clears House Committee | Halfwheel
Bottom Line…
Losing a small business, any small business, is a tragedy…given how important they are to their respective communities and to the NYS economy. Our members all want to pay their fair share…but a 75% tax rate is not fair and if we can’t make a change, more shops will close.