What is the District of Columbia cigarette tax per pack?

The District of Columbia levies one of the higher cigarette excise taxes in the region, roughly 5 dollars per pack of 20, plus an additional surtax tied to the sales tax. This is on top of the federal cigarette excise and is built into the shelf price you pay.

How is alcohol taxed in the District of Columbia?

The District of Columbia charges a per-gallon excise tax that varies by beverage type: beer is taxed at the lowest per-gallon rate, wine in the middle, and distilled spirits at the highest rate. These off-premise excise rates differ from neighboring Virginia and Maryland.

Is the District of Columbia alcohol tax included in the shelf price?

Yes. The per-gallon excise tax is generally paid by the distributor or wholesaler and passed along, so it is already embedded in the retail price. A separate District sales tax may also apply at checkout, especially on alcohol sold for off-premise consumption.

Why is the District of Columbia cigarette tax higher than nearby states?

The District of Columbia has set a relatively high cigarette excise tax as a public-health and revenue measure, exceeding the rate in nearby Virginia. This price gap is one reason cross-border cigarette purchasing is a frequent topic in the region.

Does this include federal alcohol and tobacco taxes?

No. This calculator estimates only the District of Columbia excise portion. Federal excise taxes on cigarettes and on beer, wine, and spirits also apply and are separately embedded in the price, so the total tax burden is higher than the District figure shown here.

District of Columbia Cigarette & Alcohol Tax Calculator

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The District of Columbia adds excise taxes to cigarettes and alcohol that are built into the shelf price. Cigarettes are taxed per pack and alcohol is taxed per gallon at rates that vary by beverage type. This tool shows the District excise portion for a given purchase.

How it works

Excise tax is a flat per-unit amount, so the total scales with quantity:

cigarettes: tax = packs × per-pack rate
alcohol:    tax = gallons × per-gallon rate (beer / wine / spirits differ)

The District of Columbia cigarette rate is around 5 dollars per pack, while alcohol per-gallon rates rise from beer to wine to spirits. These are District excise taxes only — federal excise and any District sales tax are additional.

Example and notes

Buying 10 packs of cigarettes at about 5 dollars of District excise per pack adds roughly 10 × 5 = 50 dollars of District cigarette tax. A gallon of spirits at the top per-gallon rate adds that rate once per gallon. Rates change and a sales-tax surcharge may apply to cigarettes, so treat the defaults as estimates and confirm with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue and ABCA. Federal excise taxes are not included here.