Greetings all. It's been a while since I was here. Just wanted to mention that Cook County, (the Chicago area), just slammed us with a 30 cent an ounce loose tobacco tax as of March 1st. That also includes all cigars of any type. The B&Ms are not only frustrated but totally in the dark as how to tax the kazillion different types of cigars of all sizes and weights. There were IRS and Federal Agents planted at dozens of B&Ms all over the County to see how it was handled. Several long time standing stores just gave up and closed their doors. I was told this by the owner of one shop I get my smokes from. Also, he said it is all over Illinois, not just in Cook County. Does anyone know of any other info about this? Is this just Illinois or Nation wide? My Carter Hall went from $29.00 to $43.00 in one day, and that's BEFORE adding the new tax on the total because his wholesale rates was affected also.
New Cook County Tobacco Tax
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Good Lord, they plan to raise it again another 60 cents an ounce next year. I slowed down getting things from Iwan Ries just because of the high general sales tax. Now I feel bad I won't be buying anything at all from them because of the extortion taxes. Doesn't the Gov realize he just killed the golden goose before it even layed one egg.
Sin taxes are only about collecting the money. Next will be increased pressure on internet sales to report state taxes. It won't end until the last B&M shutters itself. The pleasure police will be happy and the local, state and federal governments will move on to something else tax to death.
Well, another reason I left Chicago in 2003 never to return, unless it's for pizza at Lou Malnati's. I just got tired of the stupidity of the whole Daley regime. You guys in Chi town are lucky though: taxes are much higher for us in FL: a 50g tin of tobacco is about $29.00 in most stores. The effect for those who sell tobacco in FL (coupled with the availabilty of items on the internet) has been devastating to our businesses.
That is incredible. I'm originally from Oklahoma. I've had to move around for job and family reasons, and before I moved from there, the tobacco taxes were just normal taxes. Matter of fact, I was getting cartons of cigs there for less than $14.00 in 2001 and I'm sure it's way over that now, but I can't imagine it's anywhere near Illinois or the East Coast prices. I moved to New Jersey in 2001 for a job and got total sticker shock the first day with smokes being 3 times the cost at that time.
Texas is just as bad. It's cheaper for me to order a tin of PA from P&C and pay shipping than to buy it at Wally World.
I'm sorry to say this but you all are seeing what we Canadians have dealt with for years. A 50g tin here can go between $22.00-$45.00 depending on blend. Not only are we taxed to death for our baccy, but here in Ontario, regular stores, gas stops, cannot even display tobacco. It's hidden behind plastic covers. There is no smoking in even tobacconist's and they can't display any form of tobacco, pipe, cigar in the windows or in their business signs. You can't even put on the sign "Cuban Cigars sold here". They treat us like criminals. Keep voting them in, the problems will never go away.
I moved from the Chicago suburbs late last year to another state. Cook county and Chicago have always been short-sighted. They drive business away from their merchants, not thinking of the predictable consequences of their poor governance and fiscal irresponsibility.
People in Cook drive literally across the street in some cases to DuPage to buy gas and other things and will continue to buy things from other states because Illinois just doesn't seem to "get it".
To paraphrase Will Rogers: They never met a tax they didn't like.
A Chicago institution like Iwan Ries can't just move to Indiana, but other businesses have, and they take the jobs with them.
Just my opinion, of course I could be wrong.
People in Cook drive literally across the street in some cases to DuPage to buy gas and other things and will continue to buy things from other states because Illinois just doesn't seem to "get it".
To paraphrase Will Rogers: They never met a tax they didn't like.
A Chicago institution like Iwan Ries can't just move to Indiana, but other businesses have, and they take the jobs with them.
Just my opinion, of course I could be wrong.
This is the stuff that profanity was made for...
I personally hold no hopes for sensible tax reforms in our USA Inc. so as always, cellar wide and cellar DEEP!
I personally hold no hopes for sensible tax reforms in our USA Inc. so as always, cellar wide and cellar DEEP!
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