With their U.S. roots in a 1790s Whiskey Rebellion, sin taxes vary when looking at current consumption and their state revenue.
The Lid on the Pot Industry
While states find it’s tough to predict marijuana tax revenue, they can assume that higher rates will nudge consumers toward black markets.
Finding the Best Soda Tax
Involving us individually and as a community, sugary drink taxes create nudges that result in a long list of costs and benefits.
Where a Sugary Drink Tax Won’t Work
Looking at the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax, we would find it did not accomplish many of its goals in three major categories.
Why the Philadelphia Soda Tax is Fizzling
Like all sin taxes, the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax has had an unpredictable impact on revenue and the alternatives that people select.
Weekly Roundup: From Grocery Bags to Soda Bottles
Our everyday economics includes developing nations, human capital, environment, behavioral economics, consumer spending, health care,incentives & sin taxes.
The Cigarette Tax Problem
Deciding whether they want revenue, prohibition or smuggling, lawmakers have to decide how high to make sin taxes on items like cigarettes.
Problems With Sugary Drink Taxes
To avoid inelastic demand, a sugary drink tax would need to increase price substantially. Current taxes that average less than 5% have little impact.
Why the Russian Government Loves Vodka
For 350 years, the Russian government has optimized the money it gets from vodka sales by creating a monopoly that takes advantage of inelastic demand.