How many cigarettes?
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4th estate
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If you buy your fags in an EU country and pay the duty in the country of purchase, TECHNICALLY you can bring in as much as you want for your own personal use
However our Customs have an indicative amount, i.e. 800 or 4 boxes. So it seems to me that if you import duty paid from EU more than 800 you will really have to prove that they are for you alone.
There is a lot of smuggling going on re cigs from Eastern Europe and the Canaries (not EU but duty free, even better again, but 200 only allowed). So there is a bit of worry that people bringing in loadsa fags from say Poland are doing it to sell them on.
My sister and her husband buy their fags in Spain €42.50 per 200, less than half price of here. They bring in 10 boxes each about twice a year, but in fairness it is for their own use.
dereko1969
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The Indicative limit means they might ask you questions but there is no actual limit as long as it's for your own use and not for re-sale. If they think you're going over and back to Eastern Europe specifically to buy cigarettes they will likely confiscate them, if it's a one-off it will be difficult for Revenue to prove that it's not for own use.
truthseeker
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Many many years ago an american auntie used to buy 800 or 1000 cigarettes travelling and remove one cigarette from each box claiming it proved beyond all reasonable doubt that they were for personal use.
EU legislation allows member states apply exemptions on excisable products.
dereko1969
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Like how many are too many? If yer were a 40 a day bloke, ye might want to bring an extra case and it would effectively pay for your holiday!
I know one chap who goes to the Canaries and brings home a small trailer full for himself.
It does him for the year. (PS I know the Canaries are different, but just making the point).dereko1969
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therein lies the rub for Revenue.....
Apparently the Revenue Commissioner admitted at an Oireachtas committee that the 800 limit has no legal standing and that each case is treated on a case by case basis.
the guy coming back from the Canaries is definitely breaking the law however.
Apparently the Revenue Commissioner admitted at an Oireachtas committee that the 800 limit has no legal standing and that each case is treated on a case by case basis.
the guy coming back from the Canaries is definitely breaking the law however.
This Revenue [broken link removed] states the maximum quantities they will accept as being for personal use (800 in the case of cigarettes).
Leo
dereko1969
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I'll repeat myself stating that this is not legally based, as the Revenue Commissioner herself stated at the PAC.
[broken link removed]
And from the Oireachtas debates record:
Ms Josephine Feehily: By every method known to man and woman. There are three main ways in which untaxed tobacco gets into the country. The first is often missed in the discussion. In the context of our membership of the European Union, people can bring duty paid tobacco from other member states for their personal use. While we have an indicative guideline of 800 cigarettes, it is only indicative and the law states a person can bring in tobacco for personal use. There is significant case law in the European and domestic courts that suggests that the burden of proof for us to establish cigarettes are not for personal use is very high. People can legally bring many thousands of cigarettes into the country for their own use.
<A name=N137>The second source, which we have seen increase significantly in the last few years, is “ant smuggling”. This involves large numbers of people each bringing a suitcase aboard a plane.
<A name=N138>The really major volumes come via container into the ports. Our largest seizures in the last few months have seen 120 million cigarettes seized in Greenore at the end of October, 32 million cigarettes in Dublin Airport last year, 8 million cigarettes seized on New Year’s Day in Dublin Port, with a further 31 million in Dundalk in the last couple of weeks. The major volumes are coming to the ports. There were a further 4.2 million cigarettes seized in Cork Port in February.
<A name=N139>The big volumes are coming through the ports but if there are enough small volumes getting through, there is still a problem.
<A name=N140>Those are the three main sources of untaxed cigarettes. The second two sources are illegal while the first is not, and that is an important point.
Lex Foutish
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Correct. The Canary Islands are, technically, not part of the E.U. What you can bring into the country from there is the same as what you can bring from any country outside of the E.U.
In doing so she probably left a lot of them damp by the time she got around to smoking them. A friend opened a pack of cigarettes and as she went to take out each one they broke off at the filter end. When she complained she was told that they were most likely an old packet and were damp.
Looking to avoid paying Government revenue on a product which increases the likliehood of you needing health services which are funded from Government revenue.
Who are you referring too?
Im not a smoker,and my understanding(having done some research) is that if the duty has been paid within the EU,then you can bring back as many as you like for personal use.(perfectly legal and above board).