How to declare and prepay excise duty on cigars ordered from abroad

[Lascaux]

So there is a box of cigars I want to buy from abroad, and I want to declare them and pay excise so they won't get destroyed by the good folk at UK borders agency...

But HMRC don't make it easy at all do they??
I'm greeted with a list of hundreds of forms and haven't glot a clue which one to fill in, or how to do it, or how the whole process works?

Does anyone have any experience on this and can offer any help on the process?

[Lascaux]

I just REALLY want this box!!!

So I called them up and after ages of umming and ahhing, they said a C23 form should do, its like a bigger version of the C22 customs declaration you find at post offices. i just want to make sure they tax the proper weight of the cigars and not the entire package. also hope there isnt some other secret form you have to fill out for tobacco goods or anything...

[rokkitsci]

Jus' wunnerin'

What is this mystery box, monsewer?

P'raps I could be of assistance if I knew WTF we were talkin' 'bout here.

So there is a box of cigars I want to buy from abroad,

[Lascaux]

the edmundo dantes el conde! the lovely 109s with the nipple cap that begs to be sucked

[monkey66]

let us know how you get along with the process lasc.

[Rocco]

ask your vendor to fill out the customs declaration as "cigars" with the estimated value. Maybe its enough to avoid being over taxed. In Canada we can contest the customs charges after we paid for them, and usually it works out for the person who received the goods. Is that an option in the UK? If so, I say roll the dice my friend.
Good luck Lascaux

[cj121]

Rocco, our customs charge tobacco imports by the weight when it comes to cigars unfortunately.

Lasc, goodluck with navigating the paperwork and let us know how you get on?

[daverave999]

Very interested how this turns out!

[Deano]

Would be nice to know where to get the forms etc from?

[Seriesteve]

Missing link Doh

[Lascaux]

Christ, they really don't make it freekin easy do they...

still not sure but looks like all you need is a CN23 form for products over ?270. Or a bog standard CN22 form (as you fill out for any package leaving the EU) for products under ?270.

I'm guessing most countries have their own customs declaration forms but Mexican registered post doesn't seem to so I'll be using the CN23 form.

Lots of information on Customs Cuty for tobacco.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000268&propertyType=document

It was also suggested to me that I may need to clear it with the VAT office as well but I can't find anywhere online confirming it.
I was unsure if the box needed to have a fiscal mark on it too, but upon reading the above link, cigars for personal consumption do not need the fiscal mark.

anyways, ill put the links up on the first post of this page for anyone else interested in the procedure...

[Habana-Habanos]

Wow they don't make it easy at all...

[tippexx]

[QUOTE=cj121;74678]Rocco, our customs charge tobacco imports by the weight when it comes to cigars unfortunately.

'Cept they don't. They weigh the lot packaging included.

[Lascaux]

Re: How to declare and prepay excise duty on cigars ordered from abroad

Yeah, I'm making sure the net weight is stated clearly in bold so they can't pull that little stunt,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gt3911]

You do right. Let us know if all goes smoothly. My first cigar import was nailed with tax exceeding the value of the smokes by a huge margin, at the time I didn't think to question it, or understand it.

Once it was to late to contest the charges I realised it was based on weight only, and they had clearly weighed the package, I had cigar accessories in the box, including a Csonka Deodorizer which was a few times heavier than the sticks! ooops!

Correct me if I'm wrong, you've clearly done your home work, Do we have an insentive to import higher value sticks based upon these rules? IE;
Box 1 weights X grams and costs $150 - Tax on X weight is $50
Box 2 also weighs X grams but costs $250 - Tax on the same weight remains at $50

Do we get taxed also on the item value based up standard import rules? With the Additional tax being measure in weight - or is the entire tax based only on weight? Not like its to hard for the item to be undervalued if that is the case...