Some stores sell packs without city, county stamp
Jump to full article: Chicago Tribune, 2009-10-09
Author: Dan Simmons Tribune reporter
Intro: We walk up to the bulletproof glass at the counter.
"Newports, short," we tell the clerk, sliding payment to him through the slot below. He slides back our cigarettes and a receipt.
The damage: $7.50. Smokers looking for economic relief must love this store. It's a dollar cheaper a pack than most stores in Chicago.
But if you're the deficit-ridden city or Cook County, this store is not your friend. Not when the pack bears no evidence that the 68-cent Chicago tax and the $2 Cook County tax have been paid.
As cigarette taxes have gone up, smokers have been finding ways to avoid them, from driving out of state to buying online.
A Tribune spot-check found that in some cases, local retailers are helping out, selling untaxed cigarettes right off their shelves.
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