What is Colorado's cigarette tax?

Colorado charges a state cigarette excise of 1.94 dollars per pack of 20, raised by voter-approved Proposition EE. Adding the federal excise of about 1.01 dollars per pack, the total excise built into a pack is nearly 3 dollars before sales tax.

How is alcohol taxed in Colorado?

Colorado uses per-gallon excise rates that vary by beverage. Beer is taxed at 8 cents per gallon, wine at about 28 cents per gallon, and spirits at 2.28 dollars per gallon, all well below many other states.

Are federal excise taxes included?

For cigarettes the tool adds the federal 1.01 dollars per pack. Federal alcohol excise is charged at the producer level per barrel or proof-gallon and is largely embedded in wholesale prices, so the tool focuses on Colorado's state per-gallon rates for alcohol.

Why does Colorado tax differ so much from neighbors?

Excise rates are set state by state. Colorado's cigarette tax rose sharply after Proposition EE in 2020, while its alcohol excise remains among the lowest in the nation. Neighboring states can be several times higher or lower on each product.

Does this include sales tax?

No. Excise taxes are separate from the general sales tax you also pay at the register. This tool shows only the per-unit excise; your receipt will add state and local sales tax on top of the excise-inclusive price.

Colorado Cigarette & Alcohol Tax Calculator

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Colorado’s excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol are wildly different — a steep $1.94 per pack on cigarettes after Proposition EE, but some of the lowest alcohol rates in the country. This tool shows the excise built into each purchase.

How it works

Each product has its own per-unit excise. Cigarettes also carry a federal excise; the calculator sums state and federal where applicable:

cigarettes  = packs × ($1.94 state + $1.01 federal per pack)
beer        = gallons × $0.08
wine        = gallons × $0.2841
spirits     = gallons × $2.28

Example

A carton of cigarettes is 10 packs, so the excise is 10 × (1.94 + 1.01) = $29.50. A 5-gallon keg of beer carries just 5 × 0.08 = $0.40 in Colorado beer excise.

Notes

These are excise taxes only — general state and local sales tax is added at the register on top. Federal alcohol excise is levied upstream per barrel or proof-gallon and is embedded in wholesale prices, so the alcohol figures reflect Colorado’s state per-gallon rates.