Cigarettes - potential tax hike

A woman just rang up and said she does a trip to Calais twice a year. She buys 5,000 cigarettes. She doesn't even get off the ferry.

Apparently you can bring back as many as you want as long as it's for personal use but if you have more than 800, questions will be asked.

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https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arrivals-from-eu-countries

Although there are no limits to the alcohol and tobacco you can bring in from EU countries, you’re more likely to be asked questions if you have more than the amounts below.


Type of goods    Amount
Cigarettes    800
Cigars    200
Cigarillos    400
Tobacco    1kg
Beer    110 litres
Wine    90 litres
Spirits    10 litres
Fortified wine (eg sherry, port)    20 litres

I think years worth or at very least 6 months should be fine. (if you dont do it every week )

The woman who gets 5,000 on each trip said she's being doing it for years and she's been stopped twice at customs. She said that were happy as they were all the same brand.

My dad goes to Belguim once or twice a year for the weekend, gets enough to last till the next trip, reckons hes getting his L&B for about half the UK price.
I get Polish Marlboro lights for a fiver.

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http://www.tobacco-alley.be/cigarettes.html

200 is about 60euros or 43 quid so less than a fiver a pack if you travel over

e-cig costs me about £10 a month to run.

Mug thread.

E-cigs will be taxed within 3 years, under some spurious health reason.
The EU have been trying to ban them due to lost revenue, but haven't come up with a viable excuse yet!

I don't smoke but my view is, why wouldn't you switch to e-cigs?  Apparently 95% less harmful; no smell or smoke; no stains on curtains and walls; cheaper...

I know some people swear by them but maybe others just can't get on with them.

I rarely notice people out and about smoking e-cigs which makes me think people are using them when they are in a non-smoking environment but smoking conventional cigs when they can.

I see plenty of e-cig users about there is 3 will be 3 million soon.

That said there is some EU legislation coming into play next May which effectively bans all e-cigs that are any good (refillable tanks) which is part of the legislation that bans menthol cigs and will only allow you to purchase 20 cigs at a time.

*should read there will be 3 million soon