Customs

'If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you.

Own use’ includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment in kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.

But there are special rules for cigarettes and some tobacco products from some EU countries.

The EU Countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus*, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden, The UK (but not the Channel Islands).

Though the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, goods from any area of Cyprus not under effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as non-EU imports.

Although Gibraltar is part of the EU, it is outside the Community Customs territory. The Customs allowances for outside the EU therefore apply.
Alcohol or tobacco

If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and we have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a Customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about:

* the type and quantity of goods you have bought
* why you bought them
* how you paid for them
* whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed
* how often you travel
* how much you normally smoke or drink or
* any other relevant circumstances.

You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:

3200 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 3kg tobacco, 110 litres of beer, 90 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits, 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry).'

Seems to imply you can bring back more if you have a legitimate reason?
 
broona said:
How could you prove it's for personal use though?
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say it's for a wedding or party or something.

I'm not upto date with customs, but there was a case about 1-2years ago, when a few people took customs to court and won, which meant the onus is on customs to prove it's not for personal use, rather then you proving it is. But the law might off been updated since then.
 
It's hard to judge alcohol on personal use, due to the fact it's quite big.

Tobacco has a shelf life though, so they'll know if you're having too much by how much you say you smoke or whatever :)
 
stain your hands lips and teeth yellow while on the plane

when they ask you why you have 3 suitcases full of fags just croak and try to speak, cue your mate telling them "he smokes 200 a day he cant speak very well these days"

remember to twitch loads because you been on a plane 3 hours without a fag too :p
 
andy said:
stain your hands lips and teeth yellow while on the plane

when they ask you why you have 3 suitcases full of fags just croak and try to speak, cue your mate telling them "he smokes 200 a day he cant speak very well these days"

remember to twitch loads because you been on a plane 3 hours without a fag too :p
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Pretty much. There was a case that did go in their favour, but this is being challenged iirc. Like all things law like, especially when it involves money and civil servants takes for ever.
 
I was under impression it was if they collar you once and you say party etc they let you off but record your reg etc and if they see you again in a week and you say the same story they take you to the cleaners I think thats how it works in the real world
 
In most cases it works in favour of customs.
Yoiu have to prove it is for self consumption rather than them having to prove it isn't and that you are going to sell it on.
As far as I know only one case has gone in favour of the "customer" so to speak over customs and as that was at a county court level it sets no precedence.

Also it is all well and good "winning the case eventually".
However if it's a cold evening and you're at the docks and customs decide to take your car and all your purchases off you as they suspect you were going to sell them on it doesn't really help.

Stay safe and keep your car I say.
 
divaboy said:
I was under impression it was if they collar you once and you say party etc they let you off but record your reg etc and if they see you again in a week and you say the same story they take you to the cleaners I think thats how it works in the real world
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If that's the case, then doesn't it make sense to hire a motor?
 
A general rule of like is don't mess with customs. The powers these guys have is shocking. I believe that in some cases their right to enter property exceeds that of the police!

By all means bring stuff back, but don't take the ****. While you might win in the end, your like will be made hell in the mean time.
 
there are a few exceptions re the EU such as Czech republic, cigs in a few places do not meet minimum EU duty levels so the outside EU customs limits apply ( 200 cigs etc)
 
Barbie said:
Is there a limit as to how many trips "under the limit" you can make in a year ?
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in theory no but if you are deemed to be taking the **** then they will be on your case
 
My dad used to work for Customs at Hull docks, they had the manifests for all the P&O ferry crossings, so they could easily spot the people who were going 20 times a year...

Would think the airlines would make stuff like that available also.
 
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