Brining cigarettes to UK penalty, please help

powerful_Rogue

sharnad wrote: »

Anything over 200 you would have to pay duty on

Only if its Non-EU.

sharnad

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Only if its Non-EU.

Which it is

Morglin

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

All depends whether it was EU or Non EU and the amount of cigarettes were talking about. As the OP's is a substantial amount, the circumstances will be different.

HMRC only get involved afterwards if they believe smuggling has taken place.

No, it wasn't Russia, they bought them back from the Far East somewhere. It was a very large amount, thousands, but not sure how many exactly.

Perhaps it's different if they catch you in person?

They did confiscate them, but nothing else happened afterwards.

Lin

shaun_from_Africa

sharnad wrote: »

Anything over 200 you would have to pay duty on

Anything over 200, you might have to pay duty on.
I often bring back 400 B&H (from a non EU country) and I always declare the extra 200 at the airport.
Because I declare them I can't be fined so the border agency staff have a choice to ask me to pay the duty or to let me keep the extra 200 ciggies without paying.

I have never been asked to pay, probably because I was honest in making the declaration and for the time and paperwork involved in collecting the duty they probably don't consider it worthwhile.

sharnad

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Anything over 200, you might have to pay duty on.
I often bring back 400 B&H (from a non EU country) and I always declare the extra 200 at the airport.
Because I declare them I can't be fined so the border agency staff have a choice to ask me to pay the duty or to let me keep the extra 200 ciggies without paying.

I have never been asked to pay, probably because I was honest in making the declaration and for the time and paperwork involved in collecting the duty they probably don't consider it worthwhile.

really what airport

shaun_from_Africa

Normally Heathrow T5.

The B&H cost me about £12 for 200 so if I am ever asked to pay the required duty, I woudn't pay and would opt to leave the ciggies at the airport so I would in effect be paying £24 for the remaining box of 200. (which is still cheap).