I recently read “Indiana’s cigarette tax will triple on July 1. Businesses say Hoosiers will spend money elsewhere” and can confirm that is the case.
As an Ohio tobacco retailer, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Indiana General Assembly for pushing forward a $2 per carton increase in Indiana’s cigarette tax.
Indiana’s cigarette tax is now $3 per carton, nearly twice as much as Ohio’s tax, which stands at $1.60.
While the move was framed as a public health measure, it is also a golden gift for Ohio retailers.
Hoosier smokers, particularly those near the state line, will be looking for cheaper alternatives, and they will find them in Ohio, where the price difference is now simply too large to ignore.
Every time Indiana lawmakers inflate their taxes, our volume goes up, our revenue increases and our customer base expands.
This is not just a windfall for my shop. This is a boost to every tobacco retailer in Ohio within driving distance of the state line. Indiana’s loss is truly Ohio’s gain.
Thankfully, Ohio lawmakers enact polices that grow our economy, lower taxes, shrink government and protect our freedoms.
So, while Indiana retailers brace for declining sales, we will be stocking up and preparing for the rush.
Abaidullah Ansar is a tobacco retailer in Columbus, Ohio.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana’s massive cigarette tax increase is a gift to Ohio retailers | Letters
Reporting by Abaidullah Ansar / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
