Exorcising Excise Taxes: Bringing Transparency to Hidden Taxes

•  The largest excise tax collection in North Carolina is on fuel, amounting to $1.5 billion annually.
•  North Carolina excise taxes generated $2.4 billion in revenue in FY2011, amounting to 13 percent of total tax revenue collected.
•  Historically, all excise tax increases in North Carolina have been coupled with a recessions or budget shortfalls.
•  Excises are typically used to manipulate choices freely made by taxpayers.

Spotlight 438 – Exorcizing Excise Taxes: Bringing Transparency to Hidden Taxes