Tax prompts Utah smokers to buy in Idaho, Wyo.
A recent dollar-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes has many Utah smokers traveling out of state to buy.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports $4 million in cigarette tax revenue has shifted to Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado this fiscal year.
Cigarette taxes in Utah are the 16th-highest in the nation at $1.70 a pack. They were raised $1 in 2010. Similar taxes are 57 cents a pack in Idaho, 60 cents in Wyoming, 80 cents in Nevada and 84 cents in Colorado. Among neighboring states only Arizona has higher taxes than Utah at $2 a pack.
State analysts say revenues also are lower because more Utah residents have stopped smoking.
The state’s transportation fund also may fall $20 million below projections as Utah residents buy more fuel-efficient cars.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com