Average Spending Per Week?

We have a contact in Virginia who gets DH cartons of Marlboro...I think 10 packs of 20 for $30...so a bit cheaper considering he'll pay $5.75 for a pack at the gas station...hmm...I wonder how much VAT we would pay on getting cartons from VA sent to us in London?

You probably know that wouldn't be legal, right? In the US I don't think you can bring them across the state line under some circumstances. Maybe for resale???

I think it's legal as long as you do not intend to sell them in another state which he does not since they are for personal use. I thought the same would apply for cigs being sent to the UK...as long its for personal use then he'll be fine...or not?

I think it's legal as long as you do not intend to sell them in another state which he does not since they are for personal use. I thought the same would apply for cigs being sent to the UK...as long its for personal use then he'll be fine...or not?

I think there is a limit on how much you can send over at once. I'm not sure. When we went to Greece, we bought about 20 packages of loose tobacco and brought them back with us and it was fine since we were under the limit and it was for personal use.

You will be totally reamed on Duty for cigarettes so don't even bother.

Many years ago, when I was a smoker, my mum sent me a carton of Harley Davidson cigarettes and they wanted to charge me £50 in duty and then VAT on top of that.

HMRC do not screw around when it comes to tax on tobacco.

But if you purchased them at the airport's duty free in the US and kept to your limit, would you still ahve to pay VAT on them?

But if you purchased them at the airport's duty free in the US and kept to your limit, would you still ahve to pay VAT on them?

no, that's the point of duty free to avoid tax/duty/VAT. So you'd be fine there.

no, that's the point of duty free to avoid tax/duty/VAT. So you'd be fine there.

*nods* I just wasn't sure if buying it tax-free in the US also translated to tax-free in the UK.  The OP could do it that way - have anyone who visits buy some cigarettes at Duty Free, and always bring back their allotted amount.  I understand cigarettes can be frozen to maintain freshness.

But if you purchased them at the airport's duty free in the US and kept to your limit, would you still ahve to pay VAT on them?

No. I was talking about having them sent through the post from the US.


Tobacco is also much much cheaper in France. You can do "beer runs" to France and stock up on cigs there, without having to pay duty on your return, provided you don't fill  van with them.