Abstract: In order to accurately determine the contents of oxalate, succinate, sulfate and phosphate in reconstituted tobacco, the effects of water, sodium hydroxide solution and different concentration methanesulfonic acid (MSA) solution on the extraction efficiency of the above four acidic anions were studied. A method for the quantification of the four acidic anions was developed with ion chromatography, and the amounts of the four acidic anions in 26 samples of reconstituted tobacco were determined. The results showed that: 1) The extraction efficiency of each tested component was more than 99.7% with 40 mmol/L MSA as extraction solution. 2) The recoveries of the four acidic anions ranged from 99.3% to 106.2% and the relative standard deviations were from 0.27% to 0.99% . The method is accurate, simple, reliable and suitable to determine the levels of oxalate, succinate, sulfate and phosphate in reconstituted tobacco.