Idaho tribes raise cigarettes taxes on cigarettes they sell
Source:IdahoStatesman.com,2003-12-07
Author:The Idaho Statesman cigarettes
PLUMMER Idaho's four major Indian cigarettes tribes are adding tax stamps to all cigarettes sold by tribally licensed vendors, tribal leaders announced Friday. Officials also said the tribally sold cigarettes were being taxed at a higher rate than in the past, although most tribes were still taxing the tobacco products at a much lower rate than the state. Coeur d'Alene Tribal Chairman Ernie Stensgar said the tribes were exercising their sovereign authority to tax and regulate the sale of taxed items. "This joint effort by the tribes indicates that we are serious about our taxation powers and serious about controlling the cigarette sales from our reservations" Stensgar said.
Starting Jan. 1, cigarettes sold on the Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce and Kootenai reservations will have a blue tax stamp marked with the initials of the issuing tribe. Cigarettes sold by Shoshone-Bannock licensed dealers will have a gold tax stamp.
The tribes also have increased cigarettes their taxes on cigarettes over the last few months. The cigarettes Kootenai Tribe's tax is the highest among the tribes, but officials declined to say how much over $5 per carton the tax is. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes charge $3 per carton, the Nez Perce Tribe charges $1.40 per carton and the Coeur d'Alene's tax is the lowest in the state at $1 per carton.
"The increased cigarettes revenue from cigarette sales will be put to good cigarettes use on our reservations" said Nez Perce Tribal Chairman Anthony Johnson. "The tribes are using tobacco taxes for children's programs, for health and smoking cessation programs, and elder programs. These are all crucial and currently underfunded efforts on our reservations."
Tribal cigarette sales, cigarettes which are not subject to state taxes, have been a contentious subject among some Idaho cigarettes lawmakers. Tobacco retailers estimate that the tribes sell about a third of all cigarettes sold in the state.
