‘Excessively high’ cigarette taxes ‘fuelling’ black market, as retailers fear expansion of tobacco wars
Australia has one of the highest tobacco taxes in the world, and it has been the cornerstone efforts to drive down smoking rates. But experts now say the excise is so high it is fuelling a black market. Many tobacconists across the country have been found to sell under-the-counter cigarettes, robbing legitimate retailers and taxpayers of billions of dollars.