Question about buying from Duty Free

Abbafan1972

Hello. We are going to Benidorm in just over a week, flying from Birmingham airport. 

We don’t really buy from Duty Free but someone has been doing some decorating work for us (he is a good friend) and as “part payment” for some of the work he’s done, he wants us to bring 200 each of Lambert & Butler cigarettes, (I believe 200 each is the limit anyway). 

My question is, when I buy them at the duty free, can one of us purchase the 400 in one transaction? Then obviously we will split them in each of our cases when travelling back. Or will we both have to buy 200 each, as separate purchases?

Sorry, if this seems like a daft question, but I don’t want the potential embarrassment at the till etc. As non-smokers ourselves, never bought cigarettes at Duty Free. 

Thanks in advance. 

ButterCheese

Yes, we asked the very helpful employee at the airport what the rules were.  It's fine to buy 400 cigs if you are travellling together (200 limit each).  If questioned, you just say it's 200 for each of you.  But we were never questioned about it, my wife smokes golden virginia and bought our limit each but carried it in her bag.  No-one said anything or wanted to check anything

DullGreyGuy

Abbafan1972 said:

Hello. We are going to Benidorm in just over a week, flying from Birmingham airport. 

We don’t really buy from Duty Free but someone has been doing some decorating work for us (he is a good friend) and as “part payment” for some of the work he’s done, he wants us to bring 200 each of Lambert & Butler cigarettes, (I believe 200 each is the limit anyway). 

My question is, when I buy them at the duty free, can one of us purchase the 400 in one transaction? Then obviously we will split them in each of our cases when travelling back. Or will we both have to buy 200 each, as separate purchases?

Sorry, if this seems like a daft question, but I don’t want the potential embarrassment at the till etc. As non-smokers ourselves, never bought cigarettes at Duty Free. 

Thanks in advance. 

They are generally more practical than that and accept that 1 person can use up the whole groups allowance. For belts and braces ensure that you're together when buying and passing through customs. Have seen more than one person claim they were a group of X when they've been found to have many cartons by customs but their family/friend went off ahead of them. They've been made to wait to recall their group to prove they were the only one with tobacco 

Remember also the 200 limit PP is for all cigerettes brought into the UK without UK tax paid on them. Some seem to think they can buy them on the way out, whilst in Spain and on the way back and bring them all into the UK just so long as they aren't buying more than 200 in duty free on each leg. 

Abbafan1972

DullGreyGuy said:

Abbafan1972 said:

Hello. We are going to Benidorm in just over a week, flying from Birmingham airport. 

We don’t really buy from Duty Free but someone has been doing some decorating work for us (he is a good friend) and as “part payment” for some of the work he’s done, he wants us to bring 200 each of Lambert & Butler cigarettes, (I believe 200 each is the limit anyway). 

My question is, when I buy them at the duty free, can one of us purchase the 400 in one transaction? Then obviously we will split them in each of our cases when travelling back. Or will we both have to buy 200 each, as separate purchases?

Sorry, if this seems like a daft question, but I don’t want the potential embarrassment at the till etc. As non-smokers ourselves, never bought cigarettes at Duty Free. 

Thanks in advance. 

They are generally more practical than that and accept that 1 person can use up the whole groups allowance. For belts and braces ensure that you're together when buying and passing through customs. Have seen more than one person claim they were a group of X when they've been found to have many cartons by customs but their family/friend went off ahead of them. They've been made to wait to recall their group to prove they were the only one with tobacco 

Remember also the 200 limit PP is for all cigerettes brought into the UK without UK tax paid on them. Some seem to think they can buy them on the way out, whilst in Spain and on the way back and bring them all into the UK just so long as they aren't buying more than 200 in duty free on each leg. 

Thanks for the replies both. In answer to the above, there’s only the 2 of us travelling and hubby can be with me at the till when I pay for them. We are always together when going through customs etc. 

NoodleDoodleMan

Not sure if this is relevant to the OP's plans, and somebody can correct me if I'm mistaken - but does the Spanish government not restrict the sale of tobacco products to officially licenced outlets - called Tabacs ?

Buying in bulk at supermarkets etc. is no longer possible ?

Easyjet77

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Not sure if this is relevant to the OP's plans, and somebody can correct me if I'm mistaken - but does the Spanish government not restrict the sale of tobacco products to officially licenced outlets - called Tabacs ?

Buying in bulk at supermarkets etc. is no longer possible ?

The OP intends to purchase at Duty Free, in airport I presume. I'm sure the duty free outlets at the airports in UK and Spain will be fully licensed for tobacco sales. The tobacco products sold in Tabacs, in Spain ,are duty paid ( more expensive than Duty free at airports).

Abbafan1972

Easyjet77 said:

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Not sure if this is relevant to the OP's plans, and somebody can correct me if I'm mistaken - but does the Spanish government not restrict the sale of tobacco products to officially licenced outlets - called Tabacs ?

Buying in bulk at supermarkets etc. is no longer possible ?

The OP intends to purchase at Duty Free, in airport I presume. I'm sure the duty free outlets at the airports in UK and Spain will be fully licensed for tobacco sales. The tobacco products sold in Tabacs, in Spain ,are duty paid ( more expensive than Duty free at airports).

Yes, that is correct. I am going to be just buying at the duty free shop at Birmingham airport. 

NoodleDoodleMan

Easyjet77 said:

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Not sure if this is relevant to the OP's plans, and somebody can correct me if I'm mistaken - but does the Spanish government not restrict the sale of tobacco products to officially licenced outlets - called Tabacs ?

Buying in bulk at supermarkets etc. is no longer possible ?

The OP intends to purchase at Duty Free, in airport I presume. I'm sure the duty free outlets at the airports in UK and Spain will be fully licensed for tobacco sales. The tobacco products sold in Tabacs, in Spain ,are duty paid ( more expensive than Duty free at airports).

HMRC and their Spanish equivalent will have ensured that since Adam was a boy, for sure.

My point was that the days of buying cartons of cigarettes in Spain, other than from the official Tabacs, have long past.

mdann52

I won't be popular for this, but the duty free allowances only apply when you at purchasing items for personal use or for gifts. An arrangement such as the one proposed above is not legal, and the items would need to have duty paid at the border.

Not saying that anything would happen... But in theory, the duty free allowances don't apply in this instance.

TELLIT01

mdann52 said:

I won't be popular for this, but the duty free allowances only apply when you at purchasing items for personal use or for gifts. An arrangement such as the one proposed above is not legal, and the items would need to have duty paid at the border.

Not saying that anything would happen... But in theory, the duty free allowances don't apply in this instance.

Strictly speaking you are absolutely correct, but I doubt anybody carrying 400 cigarettes is going to be high on the list to be stopped, although it's not impossible.  Buying on the way out to Spain and bringing them home at the end of the holiday might raise questions as a smoker would be expected to smoke at least some while away.  Wouldn't it be better to buy at the airport in Spain on the way home, and to buy 200 each?  Just don't say you are bringing them back for a friend!

Archergirl

TELLIT01 said:

mdann52 said:

I won't be popular for this, but the duty free allowances only apply when you at purchasing items for personal use or for gifts. An arrangement such as the one proposed above is not legal, and the items would need to have duty paid at the border.

Not saying that anything would happen... But in theory, the duty free allowances don't apply in this instance.

Strictly speaking you are absolutely correct, but I doubt anybody carrying 400 cigarettes is going to be high on the list to be stopped, although it's not impossible.  Buying on the way out to Spain and bringing them home at the end of the holiday might raise questions as a smoker would be expected to smoke at least some while away.  Wouldn't it be better to buy at the airport in Spain on the way home, and to buy 200 each?  Just don't say you are bringing them back for a friend!

Sounds like a gift to me...........