Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on increasing excise taxes on cigarettes and papirosas by 2% from March 1, 2023, the excise tax on liquid and tobacco for vapes will increase by 11%. The relevant document is published on the official portal of legal information.
As follows from the law, the excise tax rate on cigarettes and papirosas from March 1 to December 31, 2023 will be 2,603 rubles per 1 thousand pieces plus 16% of the estimated cost calculated based on the maximum retail price, but not less than 3,536 rubles per 1 thousand pieces.
The excise tax rate on liquid and tobacco for electronic cigarettes will be raised from 18 to 20 rubles per ml and from 7839 to 8669 rubles per kg, respectively.
It is noted that the growth of rates will also continue in 2024 and 2025.
On January 25, the Federation Council approved amendments to the Tax Code to increase excise taxes on cigarettes by 2% from March 1, and on vaping liquid by 11%.
Associate Professor of the Department of Statistics of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Olga Lebedinskaya estimated that the costs of smokers will increase after the introduction of excise taxes on vapes from March 1 by about 60 rubles per month.
The RBC publication wrote that the Russian Ministry of Finance proposed to introduce criminal liability for the release and sale of tobacco products without a license. If the project is accepted, manufacturers and suppliers of counterfeit goods may face 3 years in prison.
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