Vapers might be hit by a brand new tax with the prices of e-liquids to extend by as much as £3, the Government has introduced within the Budget.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled plans to impose a brand new “excise duty” on vaping merchandise from October 2026. The worth rise will rely upon how a lot nicotine is within the e-liquid, with a 10ml bottle of nicotine-free e-liquid to go up by £1 in comparison with a bottle with 11mg or extra of nicotine to extend by £3. A bottle of vaping liquid, which at present prices about £4, is already topic to VAT however the brand new levy is a separate tax that might be added on prime.
Mr Hunt stated tobacco obligation might be elevated to make sure vaping remains to be cheaper than smoking cigarettes. “Because vaping can also play a positive role in helping people to quit smoking, we’ll increase a non-off increase of tobacco duty at the same time to maintain a financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking,” he stated.
The Spring Budget doc, which units out the main points, stated: “The Government will introduce a new duty on vaping products from October 1 2026, with registrations for the duty opening from April 1 2026. The rates will be £1.00 per 10ml for nicotine free liquids, £2.00 per 10ml on liquids that contain 0.1-10.9mg and £3.00 per 10ml on liquids that contain 11mg or more per ml.
“A 12-week consultation will be published on policy design and technical details alongside the Spring Budget. The government will also introduce a one-off tobacco duty increase of £2.00 per 100 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco from October 1 2026.”
The transfer is a part of Rishi Sunak’s crackdown on vaping. At the tip of January, the PM introduced that disposable vapes resembling Lost Marys and Elf Bars might be utterly banned by the tip of the yr in a bid to cease youngsters selecting up the behavior. But well being consultants have warned vaping should stay accessible to adults attempting to stop smoking.
The Mirror first revealed again in December that ministers have been wanting to repeat different European nations together with Germany and Italy that have already got levies on vapes. In Germany a £1.40 vape tax is slapped on 10ml bottles and there are plans to double this to £2.80 in 2026.
When the plans for a UK vape tax hit headlines once more final month, Harriet Edwards, Head of Policy and External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, stated the tax was a “good idea”. “We need urgent action to stop children from vaping, with disposable vapes in particular remaining far too attractive and easy for children to buy – a price increase would quickly make vapes less accessible,” she stated.
She added: “It’s also important to remember that vaping can be a useful way for adults to quit smoking, so the levy should fund an expansion of the Swap to Stop scheme and enable people on the lowest incomes to access vaping devices to help them. If you’re a smoker and you want to quit tobacco, vaping can be a helpful way to give up smoking. But for children and those who don’t smoke, starting to vape isn’t a good idea, especially if you have a lung condition.”
When Mr Sunak introduced his ban on disposable vapes, he stated: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic. The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable. ”