

Vermont is under a major attack. With no notice to the public, the Vermont House Ways & Means Committee voted Monday, March 24th to amend the proposed Miscellaneous Tax Bill to add an outrageous 92% of wholesale tax on "tobacco substitutes" (electronic cigarette products). It was then voted on in the Vermont House where it passed on 3/28/2014. It has now been turned over to the senate finance committee. If it passes the 92% tax will go into effect July 1, 2014. This excessive and unjustified tax must be stopped.

If the state were to approve this bill as it stands and sign it into law, every component (incluing accessories) of an electronic cigarette that is sold in the state of Vermont would be taxed at 92% of the wholesale price - regardless of whether or not the product includes nicotine/tobacco. This includes atomizers, batteries, charging components, drip tips etc... This would effectively drive up the retail cost for an electronic cigarette and its accessories for consumers making the product more expensive than that of a traditional tobacco cigarette.

Rather than conducting the necessary research to create a specific classification of the product and applying a fair tax policy for it, Vermont's state legislature is merely attempting to classify the product as tobacco and apply the egregious tax rates that are applied to tobacco to electronic cigarettes too. Levying this hefty of a tax on the product would virtually wipe out any local vendors as they would not be able to compete with their out-of-state and international counterparts that are not subject to this unfair tax. Customers would then be forced to buy their products from vendors out-of-state on the internet, or put down their ecigs and return to smoking again. Any and all local vendors would either be forced to relocate their operations to another state or face closure due to the competitive disadvantage that would be placed on them.

We humbly ask that you show your support for electronic cigarettes by signing this petition and contact the responsible state house and senate representatives to let your voice be heard.