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Tax on cigarettes ( or tax dodging)



swindonseagull

Well-known member
Aug 6, 2003
9,212
Swindon, but used to be Manila
Firstly I am a non smoker, but I was in a Polish deli today buying some Polish Sausages a polish chap bought some Cigarettes from 'under the counter' for £2.50
I thought the shop keeper was a bit stupid as they did not know who I was......not only that he then offered me the cheap ciggies..

They appeared to be a well known British brand...probably imported duty free by the van load..

As a non smoker I dont care if people kill themselves by smoking but then I started thinking about the tax dodging implications,

Now should I report the shop ( polish owners) to HMRC or trading standards or whoever? or would that be considered grassing?

Any ideas? or should I just keep my beak out?
 

BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
HMRC have confidentrial anonymous no details phone line to report such happenings if you feel so inclined just phone and leave the shop name and location, You have done your d.uty it is then up to them what they do
 

dejavuatbtn

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
7,097
Henfield
The other possibility is that they are counterfeit and made of horse shit and straw, making them more dangerous than normal fags. Even more reason to bubble them.
 

Igzilla

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2012
1,639
Worthing
There's a big market in fake cigarettes run by organised crime, or so a report I saw on the news a couple of years ago...
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,853
Myself and Mrs V was approached in The Gladstone a little while back by an oriental girl offering tobacco and cheap ( obviously fake) DVD's I thought then I would have loved to have been an off duty copper and been able to flash a warrant card under her nose and see what she did. The problem is that no one does anything and often people buy the crap DVDs thus encouraging the problem.

Maybe the police are already overstretched and they just don't have the manpower.
 

cunning fergus

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2009
4,736
Firstly I am a non smoker, but I was in a Polish deli today buying some Polish Sausages a polish chap bought some Cigarettes from 'under the counter' for £2.50
I thought the shop keeper was a bit stupid as they did not know who I was......not only that he then offered me the cheap ciggies..

They appeared to be a well known British brand...probably imported duty free by the van load..

As a non smoker I dont care if people kill themselves by smoking but then I started thinking about the tax dodging implications,

Now should I report the shop ( polish owners) to HMRC or trading standards or whoever? or would that be considered grassing?

Any ideas? or should I just keep my beak out?



Funny I was in a shop connected to a petrol station this week and the young man in front of me was refused cigarettes because he couldn't prove he was over 25.

The Herbert on the jumps was not local so I thought he was confused with the law, but he said to the man that was the retailers policy?

WTF........retailers not retailing.
 

catfish

North Stand Brighton Boy
Dec 17, 2010
7,677
Worthing
Someone in Worthing got done recently for selling 'under the counters'. There's a lot of it about.
 


wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Aug 10, 2007
13,577
Melbourne
As an ex-smoker, I would say that they are counterfeit without doubt. You cannot buy branded fags anywhere in Europe for that price, let alone sell them! Serious health risk, even more than just normal smoking, we all like a bargain but some things just won't worth a gamble.
 

The Rivet

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2011
4,512
There are counterfeit cigs around made from crap. Then there are the REAL makes that arrive back courtesy of the lower tax in other countries and smugglers. A coach seating 30 people is entitled to carry in (for each filled seat) thousands. Those that are minded will take advantage of that and they are then sold on the street. If you are a smoker and are sure of your contact and their goods why would you pay nearly £10 for 20 when you could pay far less.
 


The Rivet

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2011
4,512
Won't be long until the "everyone hates a grass" crew arrive.

In this context you would have to weigh up the Pros and Cons. In this instance do you want to grass them for tax evasion or because you loathe smoking or are you doing it for any other reason. If you do it for either of the two specified then look in the mirror when you avoid a tax (legally or otherwise) or enjoy a whisky or two.
 

Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
If people want to smoke horseshit fags purchased from a bandit in a polish shop then good luck to them I say. None of my business.

Where is this shop out of interest?
 

Bones

New member
Oct 25, 2006
432
Portslade
As an ex-smoker, I would say that they are counterfeit without doubt. You cannot buy branded fags anywhere in Europe for that price, let alone sell them! Serious health risk, even more than just normal smoking, we all like a bargain but some things just won't worth a gamble.
200 marlboro gold ate £18 in Gibraltar!
 


GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,378
Gloucester
An inevitable result of excessive and punitive taxation. Those who obsessively hate smoking will have plenty to say about that, but needn't bother - I've heard it all before!

And no, I don't smoke, by the way.
 

crookie

Well-known member
Jun 14, 2013
3,303
Back in Sussex
Report them. Either counterfeit so potentially dangerous, or just dodging tax, damaging the tax base and adversely affecting law abiding retailers. And please don't compare this to buying a bottle of duty free or a carton of fags when you're on holiday, which is entirely legal
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,853
Mmmm, maybe I should start again, must be a bit like riding a bike I guess?

200 marlboro gold are £18 in Gibraltar!

What is the state of Gibraltar's health service like ?
 

The Rivet

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2011
4,512
Report them. Either counterfeit so potentially dangerous, or just dodging tax, damaging the tax base and adversely affecting law abiding retailers. And please don't compare this to buying a bottle of duty free or a carton of fags when you're on holiday, which is entirely legal

:tosser:
 

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