A tax is hereby imposed at the rate of two hundred seventeen and one-half mills for each cigarette upon the storage or use within this state of any unstamped cigarettes in the possession of any person other than a licensed distributor or dealer, or a carrier for transit from without this state to a licensed distributor or dealer within this state. Any person, including distributors, dealers, carriers, warehousemen and consumers, last having possession of unstamped cigarettes in this state shall be liable for the tax on such cigarettes if such cigarettes are unaccounted for in transit, storage or otherwise, and in such event a presumption shall exist for the purpose of taxation that such cigarettes were used and consumed in Connecticut.

(1949 Rev., S. 1998; November, 1955, S. N141; 1961, P.A. 578, S. 13; 604, S. 8; 1963, P.A. 651, S. 5; February, 1965, P.A. 326, S. 3; 1967, P.A. 788, S. 14; 1969, P.A. 608, S. 3; June, 1969, P.A. 1, S. 46; June, 1971, P.A. 5, S. 116; 8, S. 27; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-1, S. 3, 15; P.A. 89-16, S. 5, 31; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3, S. 132, 168; P.A. 93-74, S. 15, 16, 67; P.A. 02-1, S. 2; P.A. 03-2, S. 30; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 125; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 105; P.A. 11-6, S. 81; P.A. 15-244, S. 177, 180; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 629.)

History: 1961 acts increased tax rate, reduced fraction of proceeds to be allocated to soldiers, sailors and marines fund, and reduced maximum limit on fund; 1963 act increased tax rate and deleted provision for allocating any fraction of proceeds to said fund; 1965 act increased tax rate from 3 to 4 mills; 1967 act made persons last having possession of unstamped cigarettes in state liable for tax if cigarettes unaccounted for; 1969 acts temporarily raised tax rate to 7.25 mills for period between July 1, 1969, and June 30, 1971, and further increased temporary rate to 8 mills; 1971 acts extended closing date for temporary increase to June 30, 1973, and later increased rate to 10.5 mills permanently; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-1 increased the rate of tax to 13 mills for each cigarette; P.A. 89-16 increased the rate of tax to 20 mills for each cigarette, effective March 23, 1989, and applicable to cigarettes held for sale on or after April 1, 1989; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3 increased the rate of tax to 22.5 mills for each cigarette, effective August 22, 1991, and applicable to cigarettes held for sale on or after October 1, 1991; P.A. 93-74, S. 15, increased the rate of tax to 23.5 mills for each cigarette, effective May 19, 1993, and applicable to sales of cigarettes occurring on and after July 1, 1993, and P.A. 93-74, S. 16, increased the rate of tax to 25 mills for each cigarette, effective May 19, 1993, and applicable to sales of cigarettes occurring on and after July 1, 1994; P.A. 02-1 increased the rate of tax to 55.5 mills for each cigarette, effective April 3, 2002; P.A. 03-2 changed rate to 75.5 mills, effective February 28, 2003, and applicable to sales occurring on or after March 15, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 increased rate of tax from 75.5 mills to 100 mills for each cigarette, effective July 1, 2007, and applicable to the storage or use of unstamped cigarettes occurring on or after that date; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased rate of tax from 100 mills to 150 mills for each cigarette, effective September 9, 2009, and applicable to sales occurring on or after October 1, 2009; P.A. 11-6 increased rate of tax from 150 mills to 170 mills for each cigarette, effective July 1, 2011, and applicable to sales occurring on or after that date; P.A. 15-244 increased rate of tax from 170 to 182.5 mills for each cigarette, effective October 1, 2015, and applicable to sales occurring on or after that date, and further increased rate to 195 mills for each cigarette, effective July 1, 2016, and applicable to sales occurring on or after that date; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 increased rate of tax from 195 mills to 217.5 mills, effective December 1, 2017, and applicable to sales occurring on or after December 1, 2017.