Florida sets up ‘PUFS’ hotline, offers rewards to citizens who report tobacco tax cheats

Fla. wants citizens to report tobacco tax cheats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is trying to enlist citizens in a campaign against tobacco tax cheats.

The state made the trade in illegal cigarettes more lucrative this year by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack.

The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco on Wednesday announced that it’ll begin paying informants up to 50 percent of fines collected for illegal cigarette sales.

The agency also has set up a toll-free hot line to report sales of cigarettes without the required tax stamp.