Georgia’s tax on tobacco products could more than triple if a state Senate committee decision stands. The Senate Finance Committee voted 5-2 on Friday to raise the tax per pack of cigarettes to $1.35. Georgia now charges smokers 37 cents per pack, the third-lowest among the 50 states.
The federal government charges an additional $1.01 in taxes on each pack of 20 cigarettes. The move also would impose taxes on vaping products and electronic cigarettes. The measure could bring in $350 million a year or more in a year as Georgia lawmakers consider $2.6 billion in budget cuts. But House Speaker David Ralston has signaled he opposes any increase.
