Sometimes, a tax can effectively be insurance for liability. Sin taxes, e.g. alc... | Hacker News

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		anonporridge on Sept 12, 2022 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Heavier cars are safer for their drivers, but far ... Sometimes, a tax can effectively be insurance for liability. Sin taxes, e.g. alcohol or tobacco tax, in part help pay for the social cost of those activities.

zibby8 on Sept 12, 2022 | [–]

As the name implies, sin taxes are taxes to discourage use. Tobacco smoking, for instance, likely saves tax payers money because:

1) Smokers pay more in taxes through tobacco purchases.

2) Smokers die way earlier, so there are less social security payments and fewer medical expenses.

thrill on Sept 12, 2022 | [–]

No, that's just how they're sold.

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