Cuts to duty free cigarette limts from 1 September

[tuapekastar]

Two-pack smokes limit set to create customs-hall havoc

Passengers arriving from overseas will be fuming about new duty-free tobacco restrictions that come into effect tomorrow.

Airports have warned inbound passengers can expect long delays in customs halls around the country as officials attempt to enforce a new cigarette limit of two packs per adult, down from the current limit of 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco products.

Is there really any point to this? I haven't smoked or brought DF cigs into the country for years, but how many places currently cater for buying individual packs? And how many pax are really going to bother anyway?

I was vaguely aware there were some changes happening sometime, but not exactly when and what.

Leave as is, or cut out DF cigs altogether (too late I know).

 

[simongr]

I would expect the two pack limit is for pax who smoke so that they can bring in the current pack they are smoking from otherwise they would have to potentially dump a pack at the airport.

 

[serfty]

Yip - did my last DF carton carry on the way beck from AKL on Sunday.

It's supposed to increase revenue by $600M over 5 years - optimistic IMHO.

 

[TonyHancock]

It will be interesting to see if the landing cards are updated!

 

[anat0l]

It will be interesting to see if the landing cards are updated!

Yep - will be a really rude shock if they aren't. I can imagine the Americans being the most vocal about this (luckily, verbal abuse of customs staff in this country doesn't equal an automatic jail term). And I can see lots of Asians being given a hard serve here - if they don't get caught with undeclared food they might very well have far too many cigarettes!

250 sticks to 50 sticks - wow, what a reduction.

It's supposed to increase revenue by $600M over 5 years - optimistic IMHO.

How? Because people will pay the duty on them? Because people will buy more expensive cigarettes in Australia rather than overseas (which seems opposite to the at-home smoking campaign)?

 

[medhead]

Taxation is a key part of the anti smoking campaign, so letting people have untaxed smokes is actually against the anti-smoking campaign. As for the savings, a pack of smokes currently runs at about $30, I'd roughly guess that $20 of that is tax. A total of $60 per person entering the country with smokes in forgone tax revenue, so you just need 10,000,000 to enter the country with smokes to get $600 million in lost tax revenue.

 

[mannej]

Nice way to annoy the Father in-law.

Saying that, the price of a carton DF has increased to nearly double it's price within the last 4 years or so...

 

[Flashback]

Taxation is a key part of the anti smoking campaign, so letting people have untaxed smokes is actually against the anti-smoking campaign. As for the savings, a pack of smokes currently runs at about $30, I'd roughly guess that $20 of that is tax. A total of $60 per person entering the country with smokes in forgone tax revenue, so you just need 10,000,000 to enter the country with smokes to get $600 million in lost tax revenue.

A packet is $30 these days?! Wow, just wow. You can pickup a carton in Singapore for less than that...

 

[medhead]

A packet is $30 these days?! Wow, just wow. You can pickup a carton in Singapore for less than that...

That was a pretty wild guess but something like that.

 

[serfty]

The total of excise and GST on a cigarette 'stick' is ~40¢, so there's $8 tax on a 20's pack.


(34.889¢ Excise + 3.4889¢ GST on Excise + ~1.5¢ GST on product) []Schedule - (1 August 2012)

 

[mannej]

That was a pretty wild guess but something like that.

Packs of Winfield 25's are around ~$18 a packet.

 

[clifford]

I'll just continue to bring in a box of 200 on my trips. If I get caught out I'll just plead ignorance (not hard) and surrender the things. Cheaper than a cab ride into Sydney anyway.

While we're talking about how bad cigarettes are, what about alcohol? It causes much more pain and suffering in Australia than cigarettes ever did. How many wives get bashed every night because of alcohol? Why not ban alcohol and save the nation heaps? (and I do know the answer).

 

[anat0l]

Why not ban alcohol and save the nation heaps? (and I do know the answer).

Hey, you may get your wish one day! Remember, alcopops was just the start...

(For me, it'd probably do good for my waistline)

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AustFreqFly

 

[DeKa]

While we're talking about how bad cigarettes are, what about alcohol? It causes much more pain and suffering in Australia than cigarettes ever did. How many wives get bashed every night because of alcohol? Why not ban alcohol and save the nation heaps? (and I do know the answer).

No no that can't be done, as many of us here earn far too many points through bonus point promotions!

 

[browski]

It's getting tough out there but thank goodness I can still bring in my duty free Poker Machine.

 

[tuapekastar]

It's getting tough out there but thank goodness I can still bring in my duty free Poker Machine.

DF benefit is great but those excess weight charges are hell!

 

[Timba-Jet]

I'm a non smoker and can fathom why people start smoking - don't buy into peer pressure cough, have a brain!

But, despite the indirect health benefits to the community, this reeks of revenue gain for the govt. us Aussies need some compensation for the price gauging we are subjected to by our home airports!!! Shame shame shame

 

[ashleyn]

I'll just continue to bring in a box of 200 on my trips. If I get caught out I'll just plead ignorance (not hard) and surrender the things. Cheaper than a cab ride into Sydney anyway.

While we're talking about how bad cigarettes are, what about alcohol? It causes much more pain and suffering in Australia than cigarettes ever did. How many wives get bashed every night because of alcohol? Why not ban alcohol and save the nation heaps? (and I do know the answer).

Whilst I sympathise with your comment, I doubt the facts will back that up (happy to be proven wrong). The DF allowance of cigs into SIN is 0 BTW.

 

[ashleyn]

I'll just continue to bring in a box of 200 on my trips. If I get caught out I'll just plead ignorance (not hard) and surrender the things. Cheaper than a cab ride into Sydney anyway.

While we're talking about how bad cigarettes are, what about alcohol? It causes much more pain and suffering in Australia than cigarettes ever did. How many wives get bashed every night because of alcohol? Why not ban alcohol and save the nation heaps? (and I do know the answer).

So Cliiford, you will be knowingly breaking the law and you're fine with that ?

 

[oz_mark]

I'll just continue to bring in a box of 200 on my trips. If I get caught out I'll just plead ignorance (not hard) and surrender the things. Cheaper than a cab ride into Sydney anyway.

I thought the incoming passenger card had a question asking about a specific amount of cigarettes. Pretty tough pleading ingorance if you've answered a question!