HMRC & Cigarettes

FH_Brit

pompeyrich wrote: »

FH Brit, I'm not trying to knock your posts and appreciate the advice given from your experience relating to travel insurance. However you have stated that you can bring unlimited amounts of duty paid goods from "ANYWHERE" and then claimed "anywhere" meant Spain, you then said duty free shops open on cross channel ferries, then edited to used to open or might open in the future. I would/do not offer advice that I don't think is/was accurate or that I have had experience of

HMRC run a very tight ship here, although as you say there is no legal "limit", for personal use, from a full E.U. member state they have made up a guideline amount of 3,200 cigs. My experience is that if you come close to that amount they ask lots of questions, they take your passport for "checks", they warn you that if you travel again they will most likely confiscate your goodsand generally make you feel very uncomfortable for a perfectly legal activity.

Back to the original question, cigs (JPS black) were £12.50 for 200 in Gibralter last week and £26 in Spain. We were stopped at the border back into Spain and the boot checked.

It's irrelevant where (if the shops don't exist - then you cannot buy from thee anyway!)

As I pointed out - see the HMRC rules - ANYWHERE was in answer to OP ABOUT EUROPE! YOU brought in Australia - totally off topic!

Again trying to bere breif and to the point I am having to explain and clariffy because YOU went off topic.

The rule that would apply to your off topic point is - ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF THE EU - You are allowed a duty free allowance (I believe at the moment is £360.00) HOWEVER Alcohol, Tobacco and Fuel are subject to EXCISE (different from duty) and ALL tobacco/fuel/alcohol shouldf be declared uopn arrival in the UK at the port of entry.

YOUR AUSTRALIA (USA/CHINA/CANADA/MEXICO ETC ETC) POINT ......

If you bought Tobacco/Alcohol/Fuel in ANY country OUTSIDE OF THE EU you myust pay excise!

FH_Brit

pompeyrich wrote: »

i would/do not offer advice that i don't think is/was accurate or that i have had experience of - you think! Thats the problem - i know as i called the hmrc and asked them (0800 595 000 hmrc fraud hotline)!!!

hmrc run a very tight ship here, although as you say there is no legal "limit", for personal use, from a full e.u. Member state they have made up a guideline amount of 3,200 cigs. see my earlier post copied from the hmrc site - they will ask questions because many brits sell cheap fags/booze illegally brought in!!! They are checking that you are not selling etc and avoiding duty.

my experience is that if you come close to that amount they ask lots of questions, again because for "personal use" 3200 per trip is "reasonable" unless you travel every day getting 3200 then they will arrest you for smugling! As you cannot possibly smoke 3200 fags a day!

they take your passport for "checks",to see how often you have travelled ans possibly smuggled! they warn you that if you travel again they will most likely confiscate your goodsand generally make you feel very uncomfortable for a perfectly legal activity.

Back to the original question, cigs (jps black) were £12.50 for 200 in gibralter last week and £26 in spain. We were stopped at the border back into spain and the boot checked. they check for drugs and other contriband/illegal immigrants too!

my points in blue

nico26

If you were travelling into Gib every day for a carton it would be fine. Getting them into uk would be different scenario. In Spain they put the stickers on the packets to say duty been paid whereas in Gib they dont. if they dont have the stickers on them you might be liable to pay the duty.

Last time I came in from Spain to Prestwick they were x raying luggage when you entered and quite a few people were held back as their cases were loaded with cigs and tobacco.

pompeyrich

FH_Brit wrote: »

As I pointed out - see the HMRC rules - ANYWHERE was in answer to OP ABOUT EUROPE! YOU brought in Australia - totally off topic!

Again trying to bere breif and to the point I am having to explain and clariffy because YOU went off topic.

The rule that would apply to your off topic point is

You are having a bad day aren't you has your aircon packed up? Hope you are read things more carefully when you are chasing up insurance debts!!

To summarise, YOU said there was no limit to duty paid goods from ANYWHERE. This was corrected to the EU by Dzug1 who used Australia to show your ANYWHERE comment to be misleading. You also say that as the original post was about Europe then we should have realised that ANYWHERE actually meant Spain !! There are parts of the EU where you only have the smaller duty free allowance, Gibralter, Canary Islands, Channel Isles and some of the newer member states.

I don't usually criticise other peoples posts but will challenge incorrect advice, my favorite hate is the no MOT= invalid insurance myth that keeps being stated on these boards. I'm sorry if my need for accurate advice is seen to be nit-picking by you.

FH_Brit

You all can do what you want - I give up!

Do it YOUR way - ignore me - see if I care!

Quentin

FH_Brit wrote: »

You all can do what you want - I give up!

Do it YOUR way - ignore me - see if I care!

Problem is you post your bad advice in such an authoritive manner its not fair on others (who may be misled) to just ignore you.

Why not just stand corrected when you are put right rather than turn it into another of your childish personal battles? (Or say nothing!)

phatbear

pompeyrich wrote: »

LOL just hoping you would turn up. I was made to feel uncomfortable as was my wife and kids, not been abroad since the experience so guess the tactics worked.

Im really sorry that happened to you I of course cant comment on individual stops and officers etc.

Its a pretty thankless task at times but most of us are trying to protect the country from the nasty stuff, personally cigs are way down my list of priorities but if i find them I have to deal with them.

Maybe the officer meant if you travel in the immediate future and have a large quantity of goods you would be more liable to have your goods seized, however frequency of travel alone is not reason for seizure.

Morgie_2

I am no expert on customs but would like to know what makes you fh brit an expert on the subject, are you directly employed by hmrc as you say you are insurance
related in your employment and dont even live in the uk
now customs are a law into themselves they do what they want when they want and contradict themselves constantly . I have had a few experiences one where i read the law carefully and followed it to the word only to get a letter saying they had confiscated 800 cigs i had sent from spain by post paid for by someone else and sent as a gift not to the persons address who paid for them all by the book acording to customs own words, i lost £120 and was told if i did it again i would be prosecuted
all from the very ones who said it was legal. Obviously
the tax duty on ciggs is huge and each time some ciggs arrive they lose a fortune duty free or not your not buying them here in uk no revenue there for mr tax man.
I recon if you bring in 2000 your fine and not too much to lose if they do take some of them its a game of chance nno matter what they print or post.what i will do in future trips is ask a customs person outward what i can bring back without hastle .

budgetflyer

FH_Brit wrote: »

You all can do what you want - I give up!

Do it YOUR way - ignore me - see if I care!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

phatbear

Morgie wrote: »

I have had a few experiences one where i read the law carefully and followed it to the word only to get a letter saying they had confiscated 800 cigs i had sent from spain by post paid for by someone else and sent as a gift not to the persons address who paid for them all by the book acording to customs own words, i lost £120 and was told if i did it again i would be prosecuted
all from the very ones who said it was legal.

Then I suggest you re-read the rules then, allow me to assist,

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P173_18663

read sect 4.5.

If you require any further clarification please feel free to ask