California cigarette tax hike snuffed

June 23, 2012

It now is official. Smokers can puff away without having to pay more in California cigarette taxes.

For a brief time after the June 5 vote, it looked like Proposition 29, which would have raised the state cigarette excise tax by $1 a pack, might have a chance at becoming law.

But Golden State voters narrowly defeated the ballot initiative, according to full precinct results that were posted Friday, June 22, on the California Secretary of State website.

The tax, which would have gone primarily to cancer research projects, lost by 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent.

Around 100,000 absentee and other ballots are yet to be counted, but analysis of the June voting trends indicates that there aren't enough ballots from areas that supported the tax to overcome the deficit.

Cigarette tax advocates on Friday conceded defeat, but borrowing the cinematic words of their former governor, vowed that they'd be back.

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill.

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings.

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year.

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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Comments

electronic cigarettes juice

14 years ago Reply

I think everyone gets old and needs medical attention, it is not a “smoker” specific case and excessive tax only takes money out of the general PUBLIC and puts it in the hands of government, no matter how you look at it.

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California cigarette tax hike snuffed

electronic cigarettes juice