NEWS
GOVERNMENT HAS
“NO CURRENT PLANS”
TO LEVY ‘SIN TAX’ ON
UK’S 3 M VAPERS
TREASURY PRAISE FOR UK VAPE INDUSTRY, WHICH IT
SAYS HAS ‘KEY ROLE’ TO PLAY IN HELPING SMOKERS QUIT
BY PATRICK GRIFFIN
The government has confirmed it has “no current plans”
to add additional taxes to vape products despite national
press reports to the contrary.
The Sun newspaper speculated that adding a five percent
‘sin tax’ to e-liquid would bring in an extra £40 million to the
treasury and cost the average vaper £13.75 a year.
When the news broke an open letter was sent to Health
Secretary Matt Hancock and Chancellor Philip Hammond
urging the government not to tax vapers.
The three-page letter, whose signatories included the
UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) and the New
Nicotine Alliance (NNA), warned that a vape ‘sin tax’
would “undermine public health and be inconsistent with
government policy.”
It said: “The government must continue to support and
stand-up for vaping as part of a joined-up and world-
leading anti-smoking policy that embraces harm reduction
and explicitly recognises the value vaping has in reducing
smoking rates.”
Now Robert Jenrick, the exchequer secretary to the
Treasury, has replied to UKVIA director John Dunne to set
out the government’s position.
“We keep all taxes under review to ensure they are fair and
efficient; however I can confirm that we have no current
plans to introduce a new tax on vaping products.
“Vaping products have a key role to play in reducing
smoking and I recognise the contribution the vaping industry
makes to the economy in terms of jobs and revenue to the
exchequer and welcome the fact the UK has a world-leading
vaping industry.”
“VAPING IS A HUGE PUBLIC HEALTH
OPPORTUNITY WHICH HAS ALREADY
HELPED THREE MILLION SMOKERS
QUIT AND SAVED THE NHS BILLIONS
OF POUNDS.”
A UKVIA spokesman said: “Vaping is a huge public health
opportunity which has already helped three million smokers
quit or reduce smoking and saved the NHS billions of
pounds according to the government’s own research.
“For the treasury to impose yet another tax on vaping, not
only wouldn’t make sense, but it would be detrimental to the
NHS and public health in the UK.”
Earlier the IBVTA, in an article on its own website, said its
sources in government had already confirmed that there
were no plans for a vape ‘sin tax.’
The article said: “Contrary to the anonymous Whitehall
sources cited by The Sun newspaper and others this past
week, neither the Department for Health and Social care
nor HM Treasury currently have plans to introduce a tax on
vaping products.
“The IBVTA are happy to be able to dispel the unease that
our members and vapers may have felt while reading these
news stories.
“Thankfully, for now, this is not something the government
has plans to introduce, but we will as always continue to
fight against any introduction of so called ‘’sin taxes’’ on
products which are helping people to stop smoking.”
VM19 | 21