Tax Planning on New Tobacco Risk-Reduced Products in Europe: Assessment and Implications for Public Policies

Abstract

Taxes on the consumption of certain products have played a key role in public revenue analysis in European countries. This work assesses the differences in tax planning for new non-combustion products across some European territories. Through theoretical analysis, the paper has three distinct aspects. Firstly, we show the taxpayer profile in different countries. Secondly, the study analyzes the risks for the health system and the individual. Thirdly, the design of the national tobacco tax is based on previous experience and planning in Europe. This paper concludes with a case study for different countries: (1) Spain “vapers” and “smokers”, where the analysis is based on micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey 2020. (2) Sweden, with the analysis of snus, shows it as a practice on how to reach economic savings while decreasing economic costs thanks to the nudging of consumers towards better products. The results show taxation and, especially, land taxation should consider differences in planning in the case of new products, such as non-combustion products, given the user per capita income and the potential lower health risks involved.