Duties

The Chancellor has confirmed a series of duty increases on tobacco, vaping liquid, and alcohol that will take effect over the next year, with new rates intended to balance public health concerns with support for producers and the wider hospitality sector.

As part of the Autumn Budget measures the Chancellor announced that the duty rates on tobacco products were increased by 2% above the rate of inflation (based on RPI) effective from 6pm on 26 November 2025. The one-off increase of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50g of other tobacco products and annual uprating of tobacco duty by RPI + 2% next year will take effect from 1 October 2026

It was also announced as part of last year’s Budget measures that the government will introduce a new duty at a flat rate excise duty of £2.20 per 10ml on all vaping liquid which will come into effect from 1 October 2026.

The Chancellor also confirmed that effective from 1 February 2026, the government will increase the Alcohol Duty rates in line with Retail Price Index inflation. The Small Producer Relief discounts will also be uprated, so eligible small producers receive relative duty reductions as now. These changes will also take effect from 1 February 2026.

The government considered various views, from cutting or freezing alcohol duties to increasing them above inflation. The decision they announced seeks to balance supporting alcohol producers and the hospitality sector with the need to reduce alcohol related harm.

In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor had been expected to increase fuel duty rates. However, she has extended the fuel duty cut for a further 6 months to help support households and businesses. 

The Chancellor said ‘I know that the cost of travelling to and from work is still too expensive, so I am extending the 5p cut until September 2026. And because I know that changes in wholesale prices are not always passed onto motorists, I am bringing in new rules to mandate petrol forecourts to share real-time prices through a new Fuel Finder.’ 

This means that the temporary cut in the rates of fuel duty introduced at Spring Statement in March 2022, and extended multiple times is to be extended for a further 6 months until 31 August 2026.

The planned inflation-based increase for 2026-27 will be cancelled. Together with the launch of Fuel Finder, these measures are expected to save families £89 next year compared to previous plans.

The government has published the new rules for duty free and tax free shopping that will come into effect from 1 January 2021. The changes are wide ranging.

For anyone who smokes or drinks there will be no duty charged on alcohol or tobacco products from January 2021. This will apply irrespective of whether you are travelling to an EU or non-EU country. The new rules will apply to British ports, airports, international rail stations and sales on ships, trains and planes. 

There will also be new increased personal limits on what you can bring home. This means that passengers coming to Britain will be able to bring back, for example, three crates of beer, two case of still wine and one case of sparkling wine or 4 litres of spirits to GB without paying UK duties.

The government has also announced the ending of all tax free sales from January 2021. This will apply to relevant sales of tax-free transactions in airports of goods in sectors such as: electronics, fashion and beauty products and will apply to passengers travelling to non-EU countries.

It has also been announced that the VAT Retail Export Scheme is to be scrapped from 1 January 2021. This means that VAT refunds for overseas visitors in British shops will be removed. The only exception will be when an item is shipped directly from the seller to the home address of the foreign customer.

The changes will apply in England, Wales and Scotland. The rules in Northern Ireland are still under discussion.

Here is a reminder of your duty and tax free allowances if travelling abroad this Christmas.

Travelling to an EU country

Where tobacco or alcohol is brought in from another EU country, no duties or tax will be payable as long as you can demonstrate that the goods are for your own use and that you paid the relevant taxes and duties on the purchase.

However, HMRC provide the following guidelines as to an acceptable maximum for personal use. If you exceed these limits, you are more likely to be subject to further questioning.

• 800 cigarettes
• 200 cigars
• 400 cigarillos
• 1kg of tobacco
• 110 litres of beer
• 90 litres of wine
• 10 litres of spirits
• 20 litres of fortified wine (for example port or sherry)

If you are travelling outside the EU you are allowed to bring the following back to the UK for your own use without any UK tax or duty liabilities.

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
• 4 litres of still table wine
• 16 litres of beer
• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume.
• £390 limit for of all other goods including perfume and souvenirs. If you are lucky enough to be arriving by private plane or boat for pleasure purposes, you can bring in goods up to the value of £270 tax free.

It remains to be seen if any changes will be made to the EU limits after the Brexit transition period ends.

Here is a reminder for our readers of their duty and tax free allowances if travelling abroad this summer.

Travelling to an EU country

Where tobacco or alcohol is brought in from another EU country no duties or tax will be payable as long as you can demonstrate that the goods are for your own use and that you paid the relevant taxes and duties on the purchase.

However, HMRC provide the following guidelines as to an acceptable maximum for personal use. If you exceed these limits, you are more likely to be subject to further questioning.

• 800 cigarettes
• 200 cigars
• 400 cigarillos
• 1kg of tobacco
• 110 litres of beer
• 90 litres of wine
• 10 litres of spirits
• 20 litres of fortified wine (for example port or sherry)

Travelling to a non-EU country

If you are travelling outside the EU you are allowed to bring the following back to the UK for your own use without any UK tax or duty liabilities.

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
• 4 litres of still table wine
• 16 litres of beer
• 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume.
• £390 limit for of all other goods including perfume and souvenirs. If you are lucky enough to be arriving by private plane or boat for pleasure purposes, you can bring in goods up to the value of £270 tax free.

The Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) came into effect from 1 April 2013. The tax applies to certain Non-Natural Persons (NNPs) that own interests in dwellings valued at more than £500,000. These provisions affect most companies, partnerships with company members and collective investment schemes. There is no ATED or ATED-related Capital Gains Tax payable if an individual owns a property directly, rather than through a company.

The main ATED reliefs are broadly where the property is:

• in use for the purposes of a property rental business run commercially with a view to profit (subject to certain exceptions);
• held as trading stock of a property development or trading business (again, subject to exceptions);
• open to the public for at least 28 days a year as part of a trade carried on commercially with a view to profit;
• repossessed by a mortgage lender;
• a farmhouse, subject to meeting various conditions;
• held by a charity for its charitable purposes, subject to meeting various conditions;
• held by a registered social housing provider for qualifying purposes.

Dwellings are revalued for ATED purposes every 5 years. The definition of the ‘dwelling’ includes the garden or grounds that go with the dwelling. There are also special rules where an NNP holds an interest in more than one dwelling such as a block of flats or where they own a dwelling and non-residential land.

For the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, ATED is chargeable on property valued at:

• More than £500,000 but not more than £1 million – £3,650
• More than £1 million but not more than £2 million – £7,400
• More than £2 million but not more than £5 million – £24,800
• More than £5 million but not more than £10 million – £57,900
• More than £10 million but not more than £20 million – £116,100
• More than £20 million – £232,350.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a departure tax levied on most air travel. Each geographical band has two rates of Air Passenger Duty, one for standard class and the second for ‘other’ higher classes of travel (usually premium economy / business / first class).

The band A (short-haul) rate ranges from £13 for a standard class journey and £26 for an ‘other’ class of travel remain unchanged from 1 April 2019. The Band B (long-haul) rates for journeys over 2,000 miles range from £78 to £172 a small increase over the 2018-19 rates.

Passengers using certain classes of private jets face even higher charges. The short-haul band remains frozen at £78 but the long-haul rates have increased to £515 (from £468).

Children under 16 are exempt from APD when travelling in standard economy class. There are also exemptions from APD for flights from airports in the Scottish Highlands and Islands as well as an exemption for direct long-haul flights departing from Northern Ireland.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a departure tax levied on most air travel. Each geographical band has two rates of Air Passenger Duty, one for standard class and the second for ‘other’ higher classes of travel (usually premium economy / business / first class). Currently, band A (short-haul) ranges from £13 for a standard class journey and £26 for an ‘other’ class of travel. The Band B (long-haul) rates for journeys over 2,000 miles range from £78 to £156.

The rates for 2019-20 were announced as part of last year’s Budget measures. The Band A rates and the long-haul economy rates will remain the same whilst the Band B premium class rates will increase to £172. In his autumn Budget speech, the Chancellor confirmed that he will once again freeze the short-haul rates as well as the long-haul economy rates in 2020-21. The rates paid for Band B long-haul journeys will range from £80 to £176. The rates for the tax year 2020-21 are announced early in order to give industry sufficient advance notice of changes in the rates.

Passengers using certain classes of private jets face even higher charges. The short-haul band remains frozen at £78 but the long-haul rates are currently £468, increasing to £515 in 2019-20 and to £528 in 2020-21. 

Children under 16 are exempt from APD when travelling in standard economy class. There are also exemptions from APD for flights from airports in the Scottish Highlands and Islands as well as an exemption for direct long-haul flights departing from Northern Ireland.