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Reservation Prices: An Economic Analysis of Cigarette Purchases on Indian Reservations

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  • Philip DeCicca
  • Donald Kenkel
  • Feng Liu

Abstract

The special legal status of Indian tribes in the United States means that state excise taxes are not necessarily collected on cigarette purchases on Indian reservations. Using novel data from New York surveys that asked directly about cigarette prices and purchases from reservations, we focus on two under-studied but basic empirical economic questions this raises. First, what is the economic incidence of the tax break? In data from New York over a period when the state did not attempt to collect taxes on reservation purchases, our estimates suggest that the tax break is usually fully shifted to the consumer. The notable exception is on one reservation where a tribal monopoly captures almost half of the tax break. Second, has the tax break increased consumer demand for low-quality cigarettes relative to high-quality cigarettes? New York’s cigarette tax is a fixed amount per pack, providing an opportunity to test the Alchian and Allen substitution theorem. We find some support for the prediction that the tax break increases consumer demand for lower-quality cigarettes.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip DeCicca & Donald Kenkel & Feng Liu, 2015. "Reservation Prices: An Economic Analysis of Cigarette Purchases on Indian Reservations," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 68(1), pages 93-118, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:68:y:2015:i:1:p:93-118
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2015.1.04
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    Cited by:

    1. Christopher Carpenter & Hai V. Nguyen, 2020. "Intended and Unintended Effects of Banning Menthol Cigarettes," NBER Working Papers 26811, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Christopher S. Carpenter & Michael T. Mathes, 2016. "New Evidence on the Price Effects of Cigarette Tax Competition," Public Finance Review, , vol. 44(3), pages 291-310, May.
    3. James E. Prieger, 2023. "Tax noncompliance: The role of tax morale in smokers' behavior," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 41(4), pages 653-673, October.
    4. DeCicca, Philip & Kenkel, Donald & Liu, Feng, 2013. "Excise tax avoidance: The case of state cigarette taxes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1130-1141.
    5. DeCicca, Philip & Kenkel, Donald & Liu, Feng & Somerville, Jason, 2021. "Quantifying brand loyalty: Evidence from the cigarette market," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    6. Anindya Sen, 2017. "Smokes, Smugglers and Lost Tax Revenues: How Governments Should Respond," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 471, February.
    7. Ian Irvine & William Sims, 2014. "The simple analytics of tobacco taxation with illegal supply," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(4), pages 1153-1172, November.
    8. Michael A. Catalano & Donna B. Gilleskie, 2021. "Impacts of local public smoking bans on smoking behaviors and tobacco smoke exposure," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(8), pages 1719-1744, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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