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Senators hear industry support to raise tobacco tax-stamp discount to 3.75% to cover compliance costs
Summary
Testimony on Bill 205 explained why distributors say the current 0.4% discount fails to cover machine acquisition, staffing and maintenance costs; Department of Revenue and Taxation recommended setting a discount at no more than 3.75%. Committee requested procurement and revenue data for fiscal impact analysis.
The Committee on Finance and Government Operations heard public testimony on Bill 205-38 on Feb. 4, a measure to amend section 6802(e) of article 8, chapter 6, title 11 of the Guam Code Annotated to raise the licensee discount for purchasing tobacco tax stamps from 0.4% (four-tenths of one percent) to 3.75% (three and three-quarters percent).
Senator St. Augustine, the bill's sponsor, said the original discount was set in 2017, before implementation, and no one at the time knew the full cost of complying with a stamping program. A Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) letter dated Oct. 8, 2025, from Director Maria Lazama was read…
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