Tobacco Tax

[JOAO LA PEZ]

Should we as a group be organising ourselves along with the retailers and importers to lobby Government for a reduction in taxation on Cigars. From what i can make of the HMRC site tax on pipe tobacco is less than half of Cigar tax, ans as the inherent dangers of both are usually judged to be the same WTF is going on.

[Deano]

Dude, you could get half a million people together (but you won't) and it wouldn't happen, it's only going up from here

[tippexx]

Dude, you could get half a million people together (but you won't)

I think you could. The Internet would facilitate that .... but whether a Government would take any notice is another thing all together!

[rokkitsci]

Bwahahaha!

Any government reducing a "sin" tax...

Bwahahaha!


ISent from my iPhone by iGeorge

[Deano]

I think you could. The Internet would facilitate that .... but whether a Government would take any notice is another thing all together!

Ya reckon? You're probably right. How many smokers are there in the UK? [Though as we both said, they'd never do it in a zillion years]

[tippexx]

Adult population is app. 36 million. Estimated smokers is 10 million. Not an insignificant number and more than I expected to be honest.

[JOAO LA PEZ]

I believe there is an angle that could be used and that is the disparity between cigar tax and pipe tobacco, which i would argue is a discrimination, thoughts please.

[Drewmidorn]

I don't think they're asking us if we want to play their game, I think they're telling us. Morally I think we need to deal with the fact that kindle books have VAT on them before we get stuck into tobacco. I don't like paying TAX on cigars any more than the next man, I'll grumble if they put the tobacco tax up but the truth is it's an unnecessary luxury item and I'm more than welcome to refrain from buying them.

[JOAO LA PEZ]

I don't think they're asking us if we want to play their game, I think they're telling us. Morally I think we need to deal with the fact that kindle books have VAT on them before we get stuck into tobacco. I don't like paying TAX on cigars any more than the next man, I'll grumble if they put the tobacco tax up but the truth is it's an unnecessary luxury item and I'm more than welcome to refrain from buying them.

Oh man, what has happened to the rich tapestry of life,


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[tippexx]

I believe there is an angle that could be used and that is the disparity between cigar tax and pipe tobacco, which i would argue is a discrimination, thoughts please.

Yes, but I rather suspect that if the discrepancy was pointed out, we'd have hundreds of pipe smokers blaming us when the Government puts the tax on loose tobacco UP to bring it into line with cigars. Best to let sleeping dogs lay sometimes!

[JOAO LA PEZ]

Best to let sleeping dogs lay sometimes!

Nah, always poke with a sharp stick, we may not be able to change things but we can remind them we are not happy

[Puff Scotty]

Did I not read somewhere if a petition gets 100K signatures it has a right to be heard in the house of Commons?....don't know why I'm thinking this - just something I heard/read somewhere.....

[JOAO LA PEZ]

I think you are right Puff, might just have a look at the gov site

[monkey66]

I love the sentiment but can anyone imagine the type of headlines that would be generated by 'toff cigar smokers' demanding lower taxes ...with the enviatble picture of Jimmy Saville.

The doctors coming on talking about cancer.

Considering we are in the worst financial crisis of the modern era, children in the UK are literally missing meals, our national debt is increasing exponentially , and every major political party for the last 40 years has been anti-smoking...

...i guess i just can't see it.

Sent from happy, clappy, tappy.

[tippexx]

Did I not read somewhere if a petition gets 100K signatures it has a right to be heard in the house of Commons?

You mean like the one suggesting it wouldn't be a good idea to invade Iraq to look for things which didn't exist or, the one very respectfully asking for the referendum which we were promised?