40-25-2

Who liable for tax; amount; local tax or fee.

(a) In addition to all other taxes of every kind now imposed by law, every person, firm, corporation, club, or association, within the State of Alabama, who sells or stores or receives for the purpose of distribution to any person, firm, corporation, club, or association within the State of Alabama, cigars, cheroots, stogies, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, or any substitute therefor, either or all, shall pay to the State of Alabama for state purposes only a license or privilege tax which shall be measured by and graduated in accordance with the volume of sales of such person, firm, corporation, club, or association in Alabama.  There is hereby levied license or privilege taxes on articles containing tobacco enumerated in this article in the following amounts:

(1) Little cigars.  Upon cigars of all descriptions, including filtered cigars, made of tobacco, or any substitute therefor, and weighing not more than three pounds per 1,000, $.04 for each ten cigars, or fractional part thereof.

(2) Filtered cigars.  Upon filtered cigars that have a cellulose acetate or similar integrated filter, made of tobacco, or any substitute therefor, and weighing more than three pounds per 1,000, $0.015 for each filtered cigar.

(3) Cheroots, stogies, cigars, etc.  Upon all other cigars of any descriptions made of tobacco, or any substitute therefor, $40.50 per thousand cigars, or $0.0405 each.

(4) Cigarettes.  Upon all cigarettes made of tobacco, or any substitute therefor, 33.75 mills on each such cigarette.

(5) Smoking tobacco.  Upon all smoking tobacco, including granulated, plug cut, crimp cut, ready rubbed, and other kinds and forms of tobacco prepared in such manner as to be suitable for smoking in a pipe or cigarette, upon each package:  Weighing not more than one and one-eighth ounces, tax $.04;  over one and one-eighth ounces, not exceeding two ounces, tax $.10;  over two ounces, not exceeding three ounces, tax $.16;  over three ounces, not exceeding four ounces, tax $.21;  $.06 additional tax for each ounce or fractional part thereof over four ounces.

(6) Chewing tobacco.  Upon all chewing tobacco prepared in such manner as to be suitable for chewing only and not suitable for smoking as described and taxed in subdivision (9) of this subsection:  $.015 per ounce or fractional part thereof.

(7) Snuff.  Upon each can or package of snuff weighing not more than five-eighths ounces, one cent tax;  over five-eighths ounces and not exceeding one and five-eighths ounces, $.02 tax;  over one and five-eighths ounces and not exceeding two and one-half ounces, $.04 tax;  over two and one-half ounces and not exceeding five ounces (cans, packages, gullets), $.06 tax;  over three ounces and not exceeding five ounces (glasses, tumblers, bottles), seven cents tax;  over five ounces and not exceeding six ounces, $.08 tax;  weighing over six ounces, an additional $.12 for each ounce or fractional part thereof.

(b) Whenever in this article reference is made to any manufactured tobacco products on which the tax is based on weight, the weight as shown by the manufacturer or the federal internal revenue stamp shall apply.

(c) When any articles or commodities subject to tax in this article are given as prizes on punch boards, shooting galleries, premiums, etc., the tax shall be based on the tax rates in subsection (a) of such articles.

(d) The tax herein levied shall be paid to the state through the use of stamps as herein provided.  However, every wholesaler, distributor, jobber, semijobber, or retail dealer shall add the amount of the tax levied herein to the price of the tobacco or tobacco products sold, it being the purpose and intent of this provision that the tax levied is in fact a levy on the ultimate consumer or user with the wholesaler, distributor, jobber, semijobber, or retail dealer acting merely as an agent of the state for the collection and payment of the tax to the state.  Therefore, notwithstanding any exemptions from taxes which any such seller may now or hereafter enjoy under the Constitution or laws of this or any other state, or of the United States, he or she shall collect the tax imposed hereunder from the purchaser or consumer, and the amount of the tax shall constitute a debt from the purchaser or consumer to the seller until paid.  It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, association, or copartnership to fail or refuse to add to the sales price and collect from the purchaser the amount of the tax to be added to the sales price and collected from the purchaser hereunder.  Stamps in denominations to the amount of the tax or in denominations specified pursuant to subsection (e) of this section shall be affixed to the box or other container from or in which tobacco products taxed by this section are normally sold at retail.  The stamps shall be affixed in such a manner that their removal will require continued application of water, steam, or heat;  and in case of cigars, cheroots, chewing tobacco and like manufactured tobacco products, where sales are made from the original container, the stamps shall be affixed to the box or container in such a way that the stamps shall be torn in two or mutilated when such containers or boxes are opened for the sale of the tobacco products.  In the case of cigarettes, smoking tobacco, snuff, and like products sold at retail in packages, the required amount of stamps to cover the tax shall be affixed to each individual package or container.  All taxable tobaccos herein enumerated, when offered for sale, either at wholesale or retail, without having stamps affixed in the manner set out by this article, or without payment of the tax by return by the wholesaler, jobber, semijobber, or registered retailer, shall be subject to confiscation, in the manner provided for contraband goods as set out in this article.

(e) The Commissioner of Revenue shall prepare and issue stamps in denominations for the amount of the tax imposed by this article provided that if the commissioner determines that it is not economical for the state to have a stamp prepared and issued for one or more particular types of packages of tobacco products, then the commissioner may by regulation prescribe the use of a stamp in a denomination other than for the amount of the tax imposed with the difference between the amount of tax actually imposed and the amount of tax denominated by the stamp paid with the use of a monthly report;  or may require a monthly report without use of a stamp to report the amount of taxes due.

(f) The increases levied by this section shall be exclusive and shall be in lieu of any other or additional local taxes and/or license fees, county or municipal, imposed on the sale or use of cigarettes and/or other tobacco products.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an act of the Legislature or an ordinance or resolution by a taxing authority passed or enacted on or before May 18, 2004, imposing a local tax and/or license fee shall remain operative, but no additional local tax and/or license fee may thereafter be levied on the sale of cigarettes and/or other tobacco products.

(g) Local taxes and/or license fees, county or municipal, imposed on the sale or use of cigarettes shall be paid to the local government through the use of stamps affixed to the product as provided herein for the state tax.  Provided, however, this requirement shall not be interpreted to require the Department of Revenue to prepare all stamps or to collect all local taxes.  Local governments may contract with another entity to collect their local cigarette tax but all local taxes must be collected as provided herein.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, revenue from the additional tax in subsection (a)(4) imposed by Act 2015-535 shall be deposited into the State General Fund for the Medicaid Program.