EU Consultation on Taxing e-cigs Please read

[Richard46]

ec.europa.eu/info/consultations/public-consultation-excise-duties-applied-manufactured-tobacco-and-possible-taxation-novel-products_en

[Postmodern Smoking]

Consultation period: 23 May 2018 - 3 September 2018
Questionnaire on link Richard provided (reportedly takes about 30 minutes to complete). .... I haven't yet had time to take a closer look.

[shiny]

I had a read through the questions asked and came away with the feeling that the decline in Tobbaco products was causing a significant loss in taxes received and should current taxes on Tobbaco products be increased over a short period of time to gain maximum income before users switched to cheaper alternatives, over a longer period of time to avoid people changing but with the disadvantage of taking longer to rectify the shortfall in taxes or/and start applying taxes to “novel items” e-cigarettes water pipes etc.
Also while we are at it should countries that have lower taxes be increased in line with those that are paying more at present.

It was only a matter of time for taxes to be applied to e-cigarettes whether it’s the EU or our own government with the unprecedented growth in the e-cigarette market.

[Richard46]

Lets no forget that E-cigs already attract the same consumer taxes as most other goods. The real question is is it inevitable that they are subject to some extra punative or sin tax. That may happen but I think it is far from inevitable and actually any UK government that wishes to apply such a tax faces considerable problems.
1 There is now a huge user base many of whom owe their health etc to vaping.
2 Other Nicotine Reduction products that contain nicotine (patches gums etc) are not punatively taxed they are taxed at a special low rate (5%). Difficult to justify extra tax for one NRT and a 10% benefit for another.
3 With mounting evidence that vaping has no serious; and possibly no long term health affects then the medical arguments for a tax to limit vaping disappear and indeed are contradicted by
4 Strong evidence (albeit it often circumstantial) that vaping has had a significant role in reducing smoking levels.
With much of the above supported by government agencies esp the NHS and Public Health England any government that supported punative taxation on e-cigs would look either cynical or totally confused or perhaps both.

I could add 5 & 6 say 5; good PR by not following an unpopular EU policy and 6 being seen to encourage a UK industry and no doubt others can think of 7, 8, 9 etc.

[Perpetua]

Thank you for the link Richard46 . . . . I'll have a proper read when I've a bit more time.

[pacman]

Yes thanks Richard46 will do the same ^^^^^