E-cigarettes at eye level with cigarettes: government plans to change!
E-cigarettes at eye level with cigarettes: government plans to change!
The new government in Austria is planning significant tax increases that affect gambling and tobacco products. According to information from OE24, the gambling system is to be reformed in order to increase the income by 2031 with a series of tax increases to a total of 240 million euros. Increasing betting fees to 5 percent and a gambling tax of 10 percent are on the agenda. In addition, an independent supervisory authority is created, which will take care of the license allocation in the future to improve player protection measures. Among other things, this includes the examination of a new player card to support player protection.
The monopoly is also revised in the tobacco sector, with the taxation of cigarettes and new products such as e-cigarettes. The government considers the introduction of a license system for e-cigarettes necessary to avoid tax loss to neighboring countries. From 2026, new non -medical nicotine products are also integrated into taxation, which should pave the way for sustainable regulation. This project aims to increase income and at the same time reduce illegal gambling activities while protecting players.
EU-wide tax harmonization required
At the same time, 16 EU member states, including France, Spain and several Scandinavian countries, have asked the European Commission to standardize the taxation of e-cigarettes. According to the press, the EU reports that the existing rules of 2011 are no longer up to date and that e-cigarettes were hardly regulated at the time. This has led to different tax burdens within the Union, which endanger the functioning of the internal market. In particular, intermediate traders in countries with low taxes can acquire products cheaper and sell them to highly taxed countries, which reduces the tax revenue of the states concerned. The EU directive for tobacco products should actually be reformed in 2022, but this novella has been postponed so far. The 16 Member States therefore ask for an urgent revision of the tax regulations for e-cigarettes.| Details | |
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| Ort | Brüssel, Belgien |
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