CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A study says nearly 20 percent of the cigarettes purchased in Wyoming in 2012 were smoked elsewhere, probably in nearby states with higher taxes.
The Casper Star-Tribune reported Friday (https://tinyurl.com/qdsagr4 ) Wyoming’s cigarette tax was 60 cents a pack in 2012. In Utah and Montana, it was $1.70, in South Dakota, $1.53, and in Colorado, 84 cents. Nebraska’s was 63 cents.
The study was conducted by the Tax Foundation and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Michael LaFaive of the Mackinac Center describes the cigarettes as smuggled.
Charlie Roberts, a spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, says its legal for Utahns to bring home cigarettes from other states for their own use but not for resale.
The study says 34.9 million packs of cigarettes were sold in Wyoming in 2012.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, https://www.trib.com
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