US legislators want to increase taxes on Dominican cigars

[Dolores]

The Dominican Republic is the leading cigar exporter to the United States. Now Dominican ambassador to the United States, Sonia Guzmán is helping the Dominican tobacco industry to lobby against a US Congress proposal to hike taxes on tobacco and nicotine products. The House Democrats have included the provisions in a US$3.5 trillion spending plan underway in Congress. The measure may increase the taxes on both cigarettes and cigars.

As reported in Listin Diario, a Dominican delegation will travel on Monday, 25 October 2021 to Washington, D.C. to address the issue with US legislators. Industry & Commerce Minister Victor (Ito) Bisonó, heads the mission. The objective is to present to the legislators how the increase in taxation will impact thousands of Dominican producers, the country’s exporters, employment in 13 agricultural provinces, and foreign exchange generation...

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[Tonchi]

Lots of luck with socialists running congress...LOL

 

[Son of a sailor]

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No Bueno!
Sin taxes are high enough, collect taxes from space flights instead....👍

 

[chico bill]

No Bueno!
Sin taxes are high enough, collect taxes from space flights instead....👍

Yes but this is part of the new tax federal packages to pay for massive US proposed spending and it is on all rolled or loose leaf smoking & chewing tobacco and vape products and the proposals I saw were for $2.02 increase per 20 pack of cigs and $2.30 for each vape pod. (those are not in pesos)
Get this the taxes proposed on premium cigars (i.e. imports) is for a 1000% tax increase, but in no case less than 10.07 cents per cigar, for the cheap ones like cigarillos.

I am not a smoker so these taxes will not affect me - however this seems to be a worldwide trend. Promise to tax products used only by a minority of consumers or just high earners so that majorities think they are escaping the onslaught. We won't.

Hold onto your wallets or carterras - Abinader will probably get a revisit from Susan Powers to tell him what local DR products he must raise taxes on.

 

[chico bill]

No Bueno!
Sin taxes are high enough, collect taxes from space flights instead....👍

Let's tax politician's speeches. Say at $100/word

 

[OldSkool]

No doubt it's "the principle" but fighting over 10 cents seems silly.

 

[La Profe_1]

I realize that the topic is about proposed actions of the US Congress.

However, the above posts move past that, in some cases, to include editorial comment about US politics and politicians. That stops now.

Any more and there will be post deletions and infractions given - at a minimum.

 

[melphis]

I think its a great idea to tax the hell out of cigars coming from the DR or anywhere else. Its a choice to smoke. If you don't want to pay the high taxes don't smoke. Its pretty simple.

As a side note you can't buy Zantac anymore as it has a ingredient that might cause cancer but you can still buy tobacco products that without a doubt cause cancer. Kinda silly.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I think its a great idea to tax the hell out of cigars coming from the DR or anywhere else. Its a choice to smoke. If you don't want to pay the high taxes don't smoke. Its pretty simple.

As a side note you can't buy Zantac anymore as it has a ingredient that might cause cancer but you can still buy tobacco products that without a doubt cause cancer. Kinda silly.

Hard to agree on any tax increase. There are enough taxes already. The issue is spending to buy votes, not more taxes.

 

[Joseph NY2STI]

Slightly off topic, but....A Dominican woman in Tamboril (selling cigars) told me that the worst kept secret in D.R. is that the coveted "Cubans" are actually made in D.R. and exported. Is this true? I'm not a cigar smoker so I don't have a clue. Yes, she did try to sell me some to take home and impress my friends.

 

[chico bill]

No doubt it's "the principle" but fighting over 10 cents seems silly.

Much more for the "Premium" (larger cigars) Likely over $2.00 tax increase per cigar

 

[OldSkool]

Much more for the "Premium" (larger cigars) Likely over $2.00 tax increase per cigar

As Melphis said, it's a choice. I'm in favor of luxury taxes IF they are not too excessive and are used for "the greater good" and not just a cash grab to be squandered.

 

[chico bill]

As Melphis said, it's a choice. I'm in favor of luxury taxes IF they are not too excessive and are used for "the greater good" and not just a cash grab to be squandered.

The greater good is what scares us

 

[JD Jones]

Raise the taxes on cigars enough and people won't buy them anymore. Where would that leave you with taxes?

 

[OldSkool]

The greater good is what scares us

That again is a choice, isn't it.

 

[OldSkool]

Raise the taxes on cigars enough and people won't buy them anymore. Where would that leave you with taxes?

In theory sure but we're talking reality. I doubt that very much we're even close to convincing cigar smokers to quit over cost. Most cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers still maintain their vices despite super high taxes.

 

[chico bill]

That again is a choice, isn't it.

Yeah but not yours or mine who wind up paying for politicos' stupid choices

 

[OldSkool]

Yeah but not yours or mine who wind up paying for politicos' stupid choices

There is the option of voting them out. If you can't you have the option of citizenship and of course moving.

 

[OldSkool]

Raise the taxes on cigars enough and people won't buy them anymore. Where would that leave you with taxes?

Spoken like a selfish and misguided cigar smoker LOL

 

[JD Jones]

In theory sure but we're talking reality. I doubt that very much we're even close to convincing cigar smokers to quit over cost. Most cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers still maintain their vices despite super high taxes.

Cigarette smokers and alcoholic drinkers are both feeding an addiction. Many feel they have control of their consumption, but both are still considered an addiction.

Cigar smoking is much less addictive if it is at all.

Ask any cigar smoker, and I think you'll find most can go for extended periods of time without feeling any sort of withdrawal because they are not addictive like cigarettes or alcohol.

I enjoy a cigar fairly often but have no problem with not smoking them either, as I have done many times in the past. As far as I'm concerned, if the price went up much more, I wouldn't buy any more.