Title: CBPP says Regressive Cigarette Taxes are Okay Because: The Benefit Principle | Tax Foundation
Headings: CBPP says Regressive Cigarette Taxes are Okay Because: The Benefit Principle
CBPP says Regressive Cigarette Taxes are Okay Because: The Benefit Principle
Was this page helpful to you?
Topics
Tags

Content: CBPP says Regressive Cigarette Taxes are Okay Because: The Benefit Principle | Tax Foundation
CBPP says Regressive Cigarette Taxes are Okay Because: The Benefit Principle
March 20, 2014
Kyle Pomerleau
Kyle Pomerleau
On March 19 th, 2014, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a paper praising President Obama’s plan to raise the federal cigarette excise tax in order to finance early childhood education. The cigarette excise tax is regarded as a regressive tax because it targets smokers, a population that has lower levels of income on average than the U.S. population at large. From CBPP: “ 29 percent of poor adults smoke, compared to 18 percent of non-poor adults” and “expenditure for cigarettes account for a greater share of lower-income households’ budgets.” Generally, CBPP is opposed to regressive taxes and favors the more progressive income tax. But this time, the regressivity of the cigarette tax doesn’t bother CBPP. They say that a cigarette tax isn’t really that regressive because the population that pays the tax benefits the most from the tax through health benefits and increased funding for early childhood education. They are getting what they pay for.