Tobacco Taxes.... "RELAX Folks"

[stoked]

Hey SlowPuffs,


I paid $39 for a tin of Club Blend. But you're right - $25 for 50gr is about normal in Ontario too. When I order from the US I save 4x on some tobaccos. Even if I get tagged at customs I still save 2x at least.

Alberta has one of the highest baccy taxes... however, I looked up 100gr for Ontario, its 12.35 now but will be 23.89 beginning July 1, 2010...

Are you kidding me? My heart just sunk. WTF! Ontario is f@#ked! Not only do I have to be a second class citizen because I'm a smoker, but I also get robbed for the pleasure - and pay the salaries for all those politicians who keep passing anti-smoking laws - and pay the hospital bills so all those PC dicks who look down their noses at smokers can live longer. I guess I'll just bend over and lube up right now.

 

[Slow Puffs]

Hey SlowPuffs,


I paid $39 for a tin of Club Blend. But you're right - $25 for 50gr is about normal in Ontario too. When I order from the US I save 4x on some tobaccos. Even if I get tagged at customs I still save 2x at least.

Alberta has one of the highest baccy taxes... however, I looked up 100gr for Ontario, its 12.35 now but will be 23.89 beginning July 1, 2010...

Are you kidding me? My heart just sunk. WTF! Ontario is f@#ked! Not only do I have to be a second class citizen because I'm a smoker, but I also get robbed for the pleasure - and pay the salaries for all those politicians who keep passing anti-smoking laws - and pay the hospital bills so all those PC dicks who look down their noses at smokers can live longer. I guess I'll just bend over and lube up right now.

Here is a link to Eric Melby's blog/site "links"... go down to Miscellaneous and click on Canada Tobacco Tax Calculator:

http://homepage.mac.com/ericmelby/Pipes/links.html

 

[Justpipes]

I don't know about in Canada but here in the states, this crap is going to continue as long as our citizens allow it. Obviously, based on this past election cycle it is what they wanted. Stop blaiming the government and start educating your neighbors or take a look at yourself. Who did you vote for? Did you take the time to do the research on their past record? If you don't want to pay more taxes quit voting for candidates that you know are going to do everything they can to raise taxes! Otherwise.........well, you know.

 

[Slow Puffs]

$5.00 a tin equals 8 X $5.00 = $40.00 a pound...

You're catching up to us

The problem is that when taxes reach that level, it's a lot easier to add $2 or $3 dollars every so often over the next few years until the 'fight goes out of ya'...

 

[stoked]

I don't know about in Canada but here in the states, this crap is going to continue as long as our citizens allow it. Obviously, based on this past election cycle it is what they wanted. Stop blaiming the government and start educating your neighbors or take a look at yourself. Who did you vote for? Did you take the time to do the research on their past record? If you don't want to pay more taxes quit voting for candidates that you know are going to do everything they can to raise taxes! Otherwise.........well, you know.

Problem here in Canada is that there isn't a serious candidate who doesn't support the smoking bans/taxation. Anti-smoking movement is so strong and ingrained that it is supported be all parties.


I wonder if I could buy a native status card on the black market and go live on the reservation?

 

[Dock]

From what I understand this law passing would be equal to a hail marry. Possible? Yes ,but not at all likely. I guess the moral of the story is to just go ahead and try to stock up your cellar whenever possible just in case. I for one will be concentrating on further growing mine over any new pipe purchases.

 

[Slow Puffs]

Dock, I agree... don't panic, but just get "your house in order"... and build on your cellar in a sensible and deliberate way. Then you will have no regrets.

 

[Hunter5117]

From what I understand this law passing would be equal to a hail marry. Possible? Yes ,but not at all likely. I guess the moral of the story is to just go ahead and try to stock up your cellar whenever possible just in case. I for one will be concentrating on further growing mine over any new pipe purchases.

Dock, just curious but do you have any insight as to why this tobacco law is not likely to pass when the rest have been mostly slam-dunks? Pipe tobacco seems to be the least of the oppositions worries. Only thing I can see is I don't know if the pipe tobacco revenue would go to SCHIPS as did last years tax, which might be a point against it. Of course, tide is turning a wee little bit against frivolous taxes.

Hey, it is a good excuse to buy anyway :cheers:

 

[Doc Manhattan]

Dock, just curious but do you have any insight as to why this tobacco law is not likely to pass when the rest have been mostly slam-dunks?

If I can hazard a guess on this one: the legislation up to this point (FDA regulation, both drafts of SCHIP and the upcoming PACT) have been supported by America's biggest tobacco concern, Phillip Morris USA (sometimes dba as Altria). All of these have allowed them to close ranks on their competition, while appearing to the largely anti-smoking public as having a conscience. Phillip Morris' support gave these new bills legs, and gave traditionally pro-tobacco legislators some official cover.

With the Parity Act, PMUSA has a conundrum: they have a huge pipe tobacco concern in John Middleton, but more to the point, their insanely popular line of mass-produced cigars (Black & Milds) have been marketed for 50+ years as "pipe tobacco cigars." Their lawyers have no doubt scoured the new bill, and figured out the tax may screw up one of their biggest lines. Without PM/Altria's blessing, this new legislation is going to get debated, tabled, and diluted before it ever even sees a vote.

Just an educated guess... I could be way off.

 

[ftrplt]

From what I understand this law passing would be equal to a hail marry. Possible? Yes ,but not at all likely. I guess the moral of the story is to just go ahead and try to stock up your cellar whenever possible just in case. I for one will be concentrating on further growing mine over any new pipe purchases.

I've contacted my reps in Oklahoma and North Carolina (I know the one's in OK a bit better). Their general take is this thing never had "legs." The House has more important issues to address than another "tax increase" bill and the Senate doesn't even want to hear about it! That said, I'm with DPG....I have enough pipes, many unsmoked!! My $$$$ is going into 'baccy, pipe and cigar!!! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!! FTRPLT

 

[Hunter5117]

Thanks guys for the insight. Never knew that B&M stogies were taxed like pipe tobacco, figured they were at the cigar rate. Anyway, let's all hope this is the way it goes. In the meantime, going to keep my normal pace of building the cellar and won't pass up the chance to add a little extra when possible.

 

[Doc Manhattan]

Sorry if I was unclear, Hunter: Black & Milds are large cigar rate *right now* (being just barely big enough to make the FTC definition, certainly not by accident.) My guess (and it is purely a guess) is that their "pipe tobacco cigars" would fall under the purview of pipe tobacco rather than cigar. In any case, a few brands of now-banned flavored cigarettes (e.g. cloves) have relabeled themselves as little cigars, which is bound to put flavored cigars in the crosshairs when the tax scolds start talking about "parity."

(The supreme irony, of course, is that a large percentage of Black & Milds have their tobacco removed before being used as smoking material... but that's another story.)

Altria/Middleton can't be happy in any case given their up-and-up pipe tobacco business anyhow, especially after they "played ball" about the every other anti-tobacco law & levy. Apparently they had forgotten the story of the Frog and the Scorpion.

 

[Wide Awake]

im confused should i buy the 200 tubs of Walnut or not?

 

[monza]

In my time of observing Washington (which makes me ill regardless of who is in power) Bills like this one are introduced as leverage to be used in 'bargaining' (or as we common folk call it, coercion) between two legislators. The tax increase in it is borderline absurd...ok it is absurd, but the chances of it actually passing are low. Most likely some ammendment to another Bill for some other subject will be inserted that effectively takes this Bill off the table, or some other borderline unethical action will be taken.

Just my .02