XT 2002-04 - Cigarette Tax Increase For All Ohio
Non-Stamping Cigarette Wholesalers
The 124th Ohio General Assembly recently passed Amended
Substitute Senate Bill 261 which included a tax increase on
cigarettes effective July 1, 2002. The new tax will be 55
cents per package of 20 and 68.75 cents per package of 25.
The new tax on packages sold in Cuyahoga County will be 59.5
cents per package of 20 and 74.375 cents per package of 25
.As a result of the tax increase, you are required to pay a
floor stock tax of 1.55 cents per cigarette based on your
inventory of Ohio stamped packages as of the close of
business on June 30, 2002. The tax is to be paid in three
installments. One-third of the tax is due by July 31, 2002,
one-third is due by August 31, 2002, and the final one-third
is due by September 30, 2002. Enclosed is your first Ohio
floor stock tax return that must be filed and paid by July
31, 2002. The second and third tax returns will be mailed in
August. If you pay the entire amount on your first tax
return, you are not required to file the returns that are due
in August and September.
The enclosed informational release and floor stock tax return
has been mailed to all retailers. We would appreciate it if
you would notify your retail customers and provide them with
a copy of the retailer release and return if they did not
receive them.
The General Assembly also passed Amended Substitute Senate
Bill 242 that increased the wholesale cigarette minimum
markup from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent and the retail
cigarette minimum markup from 6 percent to 8 percent. The new
minimum markups are effective July 1, 2002, and apply to
sales on and after that date. For your convenience a list of
the new minimum
prices is available on our Web site. If you have any
questions or problems, please contact the Fuel Use and Excise
Tax Unit at (614) 466-3410.