THE PRICE OF cigarettes is to rise by 50c from midnight tonight, bringing the cost of a 20-pack to about €11.
Cigarettes duties have been increased in every budget for the past five years. Last year’s 50c increase was the largest increase in 12 years and the government has now repeated that increase.
The previous increases were 40c in 2015, 10c in 2014 and 2013, and 25c in 2012.
The hike is the only tax increase in Budget 2017, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said today.
It means that there are no excise duty increases in the other traditional ‘old reliables’ of alcohol or petrol.
There will also be a pro-rata increase in other tobacco products, such as pouches of rolling tobacco.
Reacting to the increase in a packet of cigarettes, tobacco maker John Player said:
Ireland’s thriving black market is well placed to meet the demand that will now be created by today’s 50c excise increase.
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