Duty Free limit? 200 cigs and 1 litre spirit TWICE? IN and out?

[waney]

So the duty free allowance is often said to be 200 cigs and 1 litre spirits

 

but howabout

 

A) if you are flying out and back from UK to Barbados

 

can you buy twice? (once at gatwick and again at bridgetown) so in affect get 400 cigs and 2 bottles of 1 litre spirits on one holiday?

 

How about

 

B) you go on a cruise leaving Southampton and due back Southampton

 

the ship visits Norway (an non EU duty free Country)... If you buy ciggs/spirits there, can you claim TAX back in say Olso and bring back as duty free?

 

thanks

[sparks1093]

So the duty free allowance is often said to be 200 cigs and 1 litre spirits

 

but howabout

 

A) if you are flying out and back from UK to Barbados

 

can you buy twice? (once at gatwick and again at bridgetown) so in affect get 400 cigs and 2 bottles of 1 litre spirits on one holiday?

 

How about

 

B) you go on a cruise leaving Southampton and due back Southampton

 

the ship visits Norway (an non EU duty free Country)... If you buy ciggs/spirits there, can you claim TAX back in say Olso and bring back as duty free?

 

thanks

 

Not sure what UK law says but I believe that US law would not allow this.

[paul929207]

If you want to buy these items in Gatwick as you head out and in Barbados as you head home this is fine as long as the items purchased in Gatwick are consumed or discarded during the trip. You could not bring 400 cigs or 2 liters of booze into the UK without paying the duty for the excess.

[Gunner22aa]

Same rules here. You can bring your limit with you for consumption abroad and then bring your limit home. You cannot bring both back. 200 cigs and one liter or maybe 40oz, can't remember exactly

[waney]

the cruise is 14 days, so in theory it would be possible to smoke the 200 cigs brought at Gatwick

 

the 1 litre whiskey is also do able

 

However what are the chances the customs at gatwick (on my return) will check my socks and shoes for unsmoked ciggs and will they also check bottles of shampoo and conditioner for undrunk whiskey? :p:confused::eek:

 

.. how about the duty free at Oslo? tax free (claimable?) or not peeps?

[lamchops]

the cruise is 14 days, so in theory it would be possible to smoke the 200 cigs brought at Gatwick

 

the 1 litre whiskey is also do able

 

However what are the chances the customs at gatwick (on my return) will check my socks and shoes for unsmoked ciggs and will they also check bottles of shampoo and conditioner for undrunk whiskey? :p:confused::eek:

 

.. how about the duty free at Oslo? tax free (claimable?) or not peeps?

 

 

Messing with the ship security is one thing, and messing with UK customs is another! Unless you want to risk being "red flagged" on every return trip abroad, I'd follow the rules.

[SwissDave]

If you only have a couple of packs left of the ones you took with you, when you come back then there is no problem with those. Customs at Gatwick, or Heathrow, or Southampton are bothered by that at all. It is far too much paper work for them to fill in. At the most they will just ask you to hand over the excess, but even then it's so unlikely they will do that.

 

They are after the people who try to bring thousands in from overseas or Gibralter, Canary isles etc. or the drugs mules from Jamaica etc.

 

On the extremely few occasions I have been stopped, less than 5 in the last 10 years with an average of 10 flights a year, they ask how many I have, usually it's 400, or a mix of what I bought on the way out and what I bought on the way back, they ask me to show them and then they send me on my way with a cheery wave.

 

The important thing is, if they ask how many you have then be honest. If you tell them a porky and they find more, then expect a very long delay in leaving the airport.

[sail7seas]

In U.S. Duty Free Exemptions are available once every thirty days.

I don't know about UK.

You cannot double the allotment.

 

Edited December 5, 2013 by sail7seas

[Gunner22aa]

I have always declared anything over my limit on return to Canada. Far better to be straight up front and pay a little as opposed to facing confication and paying a lot. The worst that has ever happened to me was an officer that told me "you are way too honest" and sent on my way. The duty we pay here isn't big and if I'm going to be over I fully expect to pay.

[smeyer418]

In U.S. Duty Free Exemptions are available once every thirty days.

I don't know about UK.

You cannot double the allotment.

 

but its only on the amount you bring back in not what you bought on duty free and then consumed elsewhere.

The alcohol duty is about $2 a bottle so even with extra that doesn't cost much.You are allowed to bring back(and pay duty over the duty free allowance as much as you can convince the inspector is for your own use ). The technical rule on cigs is that you are not allowed to bring back more than the duty free allowance-which can be as many as 4-5 cartons. But the reality is that two cartons won't be a problem unless you p*ss off the customs official. The duty on cigs is 1.10 per pack. Normally if the total duty is under $10 they just happily waive you through.

[sail7seas]

but its only on the amount you bring back in not what you bought on duty free and then consumed elsewhere.

The alcohol duty is about $2 a bottle so even with extra that doesn't cost much.You are allowed to bring back(and pay duty over the duty free allowance as much as you can convince the inspector is for your own use ). The technical rule on cigs is that you are not allowed to bring back more than the duty free allowance-which can be as many as 4-5 cartons. But the reality is that two cartons won't be a problem unless you p*ss off the customs official. The duty on cigs is 1.10 per pack. Normally if the total duty is under $10 they just happily waive you through.

 

 

Yes, of course, it is only on what you bring back.

That is the whole point.

What are we allowed to import/bring into the country when we re-enter?

 

If you used/consumed a prior purchase while out of the country or gave it as a present, Customs is not interested about it as you are not bringing it into the country.

 

[jamessemaj]

Customs rules apply to incoming items. Duty free carried out and then back would be subject to the limitations. Tax paid items purchased before departure would not. Items for which tax is paid in another country on the regular market are still subject to inbound limitation. It's not all about duty free, it's about tax paid to the country you are entering, and the idea of cumulative in/out purchases somehow being different is false and just complicates the issue. In the US I have found customs to not be concerned with reasonable overages on items like cigarettes. I asked once what would happen if I declared like 20 cartons of cigarettes, and they said I would pay duty, but they weren't sure of the procedure or the amount.

Edited December 5, 2013 by jamessemaj

[sail7seas]

Customs rules apply to incoming items. Duty free carried out and then back would be subject to the limitations. Tax paid items purchased before departure would not. Items for which tax is paid in another country on the regular market are still subject to inbound limitation. It's not all about duty free, it's about tax paid to the country you are entering, and the idea of cumulative in/out purchases somehow being different is false and just complicates the issue. In the US I have found customs to not be concerned with reasonable overages on items like cigarettes. I asked once what would happen if I declared like 20 cartons of cigarettes, and they said I would pay duty, but they weren't sure of the procedure or the amount.

 

 

I would wonder about the question of 'personal use' vs re-selling. If you brought back 20 cartons of cigarettes, presumably bought duty free, Customs could conceivably take the position you are bringing that many with plans to resell them which, likely is not allowed.

 

[Gloria Mundi]

I have always declared anything over my limit on return to Canada. Far better to be straight up front and pay a little as opposed to facing confiscation and paying a lot. The worst that has ever happened to me was an officer that told me "you are way too honest" and sent on my way. The duty we pay here isn't big and if I'm going to be over I fully expect to pay.

 

I've had the same experience in the US- I've brought in as many as 4 bottles in from a favorite whisky shop in London when traveling solo and once got a raised eyebrow, but never fined. As others have said, you can't double the allowance on your return to the UK but if you have a little excess and fill out an honest declaration you're unlikely to have any problems.

[headhunterke]

That highly depends on which officer's at work when you take all your duty free/import goods through. Some can be awfully strict about those rules.

And those fines aren't soft. If I'd were you, I'd stick with the rules. Or as you said, consume all during the cruise :p

[TravelDiva88]

I've had the same experience in the US- I've brought in as many as 4 bottles in from a favorite whisky shop in London when traveling solo and once got a raised eyebrow, but never fined. As others have said, you can't double the allowance on your return to the UK but if you have a little excess and fill out an honest declaration you're unlikely to have any problems.

 

Same here. I just brought back 8 liters of rum on my last cruise and wasn't asked to pay duty, though I was fully prepared.