Smoking: Are cigarettes becoming much more expensive? Tobacco industry warns of "excess"
In order for the federal government to get extra revenue, German smokers are to be asked to pay more than before. But will this bring in the desired billions? Not only the tobacco lobby has doubts about this.
Germany's tobacco companies are concerned about the government's plans to increase tobacco taxes, warning that it could lead to a significant rise in black market sales. The industry association BVTE and union representatives have expressed doubts about the government's revenue projections, citing a study that suggests the tax hike could result in 3.3 billion euros in lost revenue in 2027 and 4.9 billion euros by 2030.
The proposed tax increase could see cigarette prices rise to 9.10 euros per pack next year and up to 14 euros for some brands, with the government hoping to generate 11.5 billion euros in additional revenue by 2030. However, some politicians, including CDU MP Carsten Brodesser, are opposing the plan, while others, like Katrin Schaller from the German Cancer Research Center, welcome it as a way to reduce smoking.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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