Tax on cigarettes from non eu countries

stephb34

Hi does anyone know if i bring more than my 200 allowance of cigarettes back from the canaries and i go through the something to declare route, can i declare them and pay the duty on them and so how much will my cigarettes then have cost me, does it then make them the same price as cigarettes from spain which have duty paid on them or does it bring them up to the price they are in the shops here.
I'm sorry if there is a special section for this and im asking a silly question i have already looked and couldn't seem to find anything.
Thanks in anticipation.

Voyager2002

Yes, you most certainly can do this.

They will end up costing a good deal more than in Spain, quite possibly as much as or more as from your friendly local supermarket.

Inactive

Well things must have changed recently, I tried this at Luton Airport, was told no way by C&E, I had to forfeit any ciggies over the 200 allowance.

phatbear

If you had walked into the red point and declared the cigs they have no right to seize them off of you, hell you can turn up with a kilo of cocaine as long as you declare it and have the correct licence for the goods.

If however you were stopped in the green channel and you then declared them its up to the officers discretion if they choose to take the cigs off of you or allow you to pay the duty.

On average the vat and duty on cigs from a non eu state when declared will make them more expensive than buying the products in tescos etc.

If you had entered the red channel/point and declared them I would seriously consider writing to the senior officer on station and lodging an appeal.

all the best

the bear

London50

I am not saying for anyone to do this but I go to the Canaries twice a year {and have done since 1999 and bring back well over the odds regarding ciggies}. I always walk through the nothing to declare and {as yet} have never been challanged. I only buy for personal use NEVER TO SELL ON and know that I could be stopped at any time but overall in my way of looking at it I am willing to take the chance. The price that is charged in this country is IMO robbery via the tax and any money I can save make it {for me} worthwhile

phatbear

Then my old mucker you are breaking the law, your defence that the tax charged in this country is "robbery" is no defence at all, why not pop to mainland spain where you can get what you want, at a tad more expense than the canaries and it would never be a problem.

You may never have been challenged but there is always a first time and depending on what you do for a living etc having a record with customs can have an effect, another consideration, and one of my favourite parts of our legislation is setc 141 of cema 1979, ie if i find cigs packed with anything else I can seize your clothes and any baggage which is carrying your illicit booty.

Im think peoples readyness to thumb their nose at the law, regardless of how petty you may think it is, makes a damning statement on society. I know its only cigs but the law is the law, could you justify shop lifting because you dont agree with the prices of a product in a shop etc?

rant over

all the best

the bear

Tojo_Ralph

phatbear wrote: »

I know its only cigs but the law is the law.....

And on that very subject, I have always assumed (no a$$, u, me comments) that these days customs weren't really concerned about folk returning from Non EU countries carrying the likes of an extra carton of ciggies or a litre and a half of spirits.

The reason I ask is that on the only occasion that I have been stopped recently whilst returning from a Non EU country, I simply had my case scanned. That (again I assume) would have clearly shown two cartons of ciggies laying side by side. I could of course have proven the origins of both cartons, but I was not asked to do so.
.....

phatbear

Of course we have better things to do with our times but if in the course of our duties we run across such goods then it needs to be dealt with.

all the best

the bear

BexTech

I bought back more than the 200 limit from Tunisia, just took the chance, even with them clearly in a carrier bag with Duty Free Shop or such like on it, had no problems.

London50

phatbear wrote: »

Then my old mucker you are breaking the law, your defence that the tax charged in this country is "robbery" is no defence at all, why not pop to mainland spain where you can get what you want, at a tad more expense than the canaries and it would never be a problem.

You may never have been challenged but there is always a first time and depending on what you do for a living etc having a record with customs can have an effect, another consideration, and one of my favourite parts of our legislation is setc 141 of cema 1979, ie if i find cigs packed with anything else I can seize your clothes and any baggage which is carrying your illicit booty.

Im think peoples readyness to thumb their nose at the law, regardless of how petty you may think it is, makes a damning statement on society. I know its only cigs but the law is the law, could you justify shop lifting because you dont agree with the prices of a product in a shop etc?

rant over

all the best

the bear

Well
Once again I have returned from the Canaries and once again have brought in over the limit of tobacco without being stopped in the green channel. The law regarding this is stupid as the Canaries are owned by Spain. As for travelling to Spain to get my goods it would cost more than buying them here so I will carry on doing what I do regardless of the pettyness of people trying to say "the law is the law". it isn't and that is proved time and time again with people with money or status getting away with things that 'normal' people would be taken to task for.

sturll

Ive told this before but here goes:

I was driving a UK hire car back to the UK through Calais from France. I was pulled over at the port and asked what my business was - i explained what i did for a living and why i had actually been to the continent. Nonetheless the car was stripped bare - the seats were out, the dash was off cameras were in the engine etc. It took about 2 hrs.
After finding nothing i was told i could be on my way and i asked the most arrogant b1tch of a customs officer "do you look at this as a success" she asked what i meant, i said "well, would you agree what you are doing to put off smuggling is working - or have you wasted your time"
Smug as you can imagine she said "One day you wont be so lucky"

In 60 hours i had barely slept, watched my nice BMW be stripped bare and had some arrogant customs **** presume me guilty by the way i looked.

I have no problem whatsoever buying $1000 worth of goods from the US and not declaring it.

None at all.

Why should the UK govt charge me for something i have bought and already paid tax on abroad? Its criminal.