Tobacco Sellers Sue Cook County Over New Tax

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 7, 2012 9:20PM

Tobacco shop Iwan Ries Co., and tobacco wholesaler Arangold Corp., have filed a lawsuit against Cook County saying a new tobacco tax is "unconstitutionally vague." The new tobacco tax was approved along with the 2012 budget and includes new taxes on cigars, snuff and loose tobacco, adding onto existing cigarette taxes.

The lawsuit asked the Cook County Circuit Court to stop the tax that is supposed to go into effect on March 1. The Sun-Times writes:

“It’s so vague and indefinite, no one knows how it works. You’d have to hire a fortune teller,” said Stanley Kaminski, the Chicago attorney representing the companies. “We can’t have people guessing at how to pay the tax, especially if they’re going to face a penalty. So we’re asking a judge to stop enforcement of the tax and if a court does find the tax is illegal to stop enforcement until which [time] the county makes it legal.”

The new tobacco tax would bring in an estimated $9.6 million for Cook County this year. If you're confused by the different taxes Cook County has on the books, see the Department of Revenue's guide on tobacco taxes.