How much is the cigarette tax in Hawaii?

Hawaii taxes cigarettes at $0.16 per stick, which works out to $3.20 on a standard 20-cigarette pack. That rate is set under HRS 245 and is separate from the federal cigarette excise and any general excise tax added at retail.

How is Hawaii's alcohol tax structured?

Hawaii charges a gallonage tax under HRS 244D, set per wine gallon of product. Rates differ by beverage: draft beer is about $0.54, packaged beer and coolers $0.93, still wine $1.38, sparkling wine $2.12, and distilled spirits $5.98 per gallon.

How does the tool convert a bottle or can to gallons?

It divides the container size in fluid ounces by 128 (the number of ounces in a US gallon), multiplies by the number of containers, and applies the per-gallon rate. So a case of 24 twelve-ounce beers is 288 ounces, or 2.25 gallons, taxed at the packaged-beer rate.

Does this include Hawaii's General Excise Tax?

No. These figures are the per-unit excise (gallonage) taxes only. Hawaii also applies its General Excise Tax of about 4.5% to the retail price, and federal cigarette and alcohol excise taxes apply on top, none of which are included here.

Why is Hawaii's alcohol and tobacco tax different from neighboring states?

Each state sets its own excise rates, and Hawaii's are among the higher ones, partly to discourage use and partly for revenue. Because the gallonage tax is per gallon of product rather than per drink, stronger or larger-volume purchases carry proportionally more tax.

Hawaii Cigarette & Alcohol Tax Calculator

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Hawaii layers a substantial excise tax onto cigarettes and alcohol on top of the retail price. The cigarette tax is charged per stick, while alcohol carries a gallonage tax that varies by beverage type. This calculator shows exactly how much of what you pay is Hawaii excise tax.

How it works

The two products use different bases. Cigarettes are taxed per stick:

cigarette tax = number of cigarettes × $0.16

so a 20-pack carries $3.20 in state excise. Alcohol is taxed per wine gallon of product, with the rate depending on the beverage. To apply it the tool converts your containers to gallons first:

gallons = (container ounces × number of containers) ÷ 128
alcohol tax = gallons × per-gallon rate

Cigarettes: per-stick rate × sticks. Alcohol: per-gallon rate × total gallons.

The per-gallon rates under HRS 244D are roughly $0.54 for draft beer, $0.93 for packaged beer and coolers, $1.38 for still wine, $2.12 for sparkling wine, and $5.98 for distilled spirits.

Example and notes

A case of 24 twelve-ounce beers is 24 × 12 = 288 ounces, or 2.25 gallons. At the packaged-beer rate of $0.93 per gallon, that is about $2.09 in gallonage tax for the case. A single 20-pack of cigarettes carries $3.20.

These figures are the excise portion only. Hawaii adds its General Excise Tax of about 4.5% at retail, and federal excise taxes apply on top, so your shelf price is higher than the state excise alone. Everything is computed in your browser.