The Government’s decision to raise the tax on tobacco products has resulted in more armed robberies and has had little effect on smokers’ demand, a group representing retailers says. The Association of Community Retailers (ACR) wants the Government to abandon two further tax hikes saying they will only put dairy and convenience store owners at greater risk. Increasing the tax on tobacco only made it a more valuable commodity for crimi ... Jump to full article >>

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LITTLE RIVER – South Carolina raised its cigarette tax Thursday after the state senate overrode the governor’s Tuesday veto of a 50-cents-per-pack cigarette tax increase. Supporters of the tax said it will actually save or even create 2000 jobs because of the $120 million that will be spent on Medicaid. The state currently has the lowest tax in the nation at just 7-cents a pack. With the new hike going into effect July 1 some cigarette a ... Jump to full article >>

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Philip Morris USA (PM USA) filed lawsuits today against eight retailers for selling counterfeit versions of the company’s Marlboro® brand cigarettes in New York and New Jersey. These lawsuits are part of the company’s on-going efforts to stop the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and the unauthorized use of PM USA’s trademarks. “These lawsuits highlight that counterfeit cigarette traffickers continue to operate in the New York metropolitan ... Jump to full article >>

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Philip Morris Counterfeit Marlboro Lawsuit: Philip Morris USA is accusing 10 New York and New Jersey retailers of selling counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes. Reyes Grocery Store and Sunny’s Supermarket, in Newark, are among the defendants named in litigation brought by the tobacco company. The Henrico County-based cigarette-maker has monitored retail markets for years to keep fake versions of its brands off store shelves. Since May of this ye ... Jump to full article >>

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A Native American store on Long Island sells untaxed cigarettes, but some lawmakers are looking to force Native American-owned stores to charge taxes on cigarettes as a way to increase the state’s revenue. Senate Finance Committee Chair Carl Kruger asked the governor to begin collecting these sales taxes immediately. Sen. Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn, hand-delivered a letter Nov. 16 to the governor asking him to rescind a “letter of forbearanc ... Jump to full article >>

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The state Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations on Tuesday is holding a hearing in New York City on the state’s failure to collect taxes on sales of cigarettes sold by Indian-owned retailers to non-Indian customers. Despite clear laws on the books for year, Indian-owned retail outlets, such as the convenience stores in Union Springs and Seneca Falls owned by the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York, have refused ... Jump to full article >>

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