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Smokers with e-cigarettes (symbolic picture): higher income for the tax authorities
Photo: Robert F. Bukaty / AP
Smokers will have to be prepared for higher prices from next year: The Bundestag decided early Friday morning that the tobacco tax for a pack of 20 cigarettes will rise by an average of 10 cents in the coming year.
A year later, a further 10 cents will be added, in 2025 and 2026 another 15 cents per pack will be added.
The tax on classic cigarettes is increasing more than originally planned by the federal government.
The Bundestag Finance Committee approved the draft on Wednesday.
On June 25, it is still the Federal Council's turn, whose green light is almost certain.
The legislature is turning the tax screw particularly hard on e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters - these products were previously only lightly taxed, but that will change in the future.
For a 10-milliliter liquid, which currently costs around 5 euros, tax should be 1.60 euros more in 2022, and this value should rise to 3.20 euros by 2026.
There was criticism from the manufacturers - they pointed out that e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters contain significantly fewer pollutants than tobacco cigarettes.
This difference is not taken into account for fiscal purposes, they argue.
The "Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment" - the industry representative for e-cigarettes - wants to go to the Federal Constitutional Court and file a constitutional complaint because of what they consider to be a disproportionate tax increase.
Around every fourth adult in Germany smokes.
The tobacco tax is therefore an important source of money for the state: Last year, the tax authorities received 14.7 billion euros.
The tobacco tax was last increased in 2015.
mic / dpa-afx
