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£2.20 per 10ml: the new vaping duty starts today

Qurexa Editorial Team1 October 20267 min read 0 0
£2.20 per 10ml: the new vaping duty starts today

What happened

From today, 1 October 2026, a new tax applies to vaping liquid sold in the UK. Vaping Products Duty is charged at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid. It applies to all vaping liquids made in or brought into the UK from today, whether or not they contain nicotine. The duty is paid by manufacturers, importers and warehousekeepers approved by HM Revenue and Customs. HMRC has been clear that whether that cost is passed on to shops and customers is a commercial decision, not something the tax itself dictates. Alongside the duty, HMRC has launched the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme. Vaping duty stamps are yellow or red, tamper-evident rectangular stamps on product packaging. They will start appearing on shelves now. There is a six-month grace period, so wholesalers and retailers can sell existing eligible unstamped stock until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027, every vaping product sold in the UK must carry a valid stamp. Tobacco duty rose today too. That is deliberate. There is a one-off increase of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or per 50 grams of tobacco, on top of the standard escalator, so that smokers still have a financial reason to switch away from cigarettes. Travellers' allowances have changed as well. From today, people arriving in Great Britain can bring up to 50ml of vaping liquid for personal use without paying duty and tax. Above that, you must declare it and pay duty on the full amount. James Murray, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Our new measures will help get illicit vapes off high streets across the country.' Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said: 'while vaping is less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers to quit, children and non-smokers should never vape.'

Why this matters

Two different groups are affected in two different ways. If you are an adult who switched from smoking to vaping, the aim of today's changes is explicitly not to push you back to cigarettes. That is why tobacco duty went up on the same day. The gap in price is meant to stay in vaping's favour. If you are a parent, the target of the policy is your children. Reducing affordability is the stated purpose, and it sits alongside work on how vapes look and where they are sold. There is also a high street angle that is easy to miss. Illicit vapes undercut shops that follow the rules, and they are not tested to any standard. Some seized products have been found to contain far more nicotine than permitted. A visible stamp is a simple test that an ordinary shopper can apply at the till, which is a genuinely useful change. One deadline is worth flagging today. The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on reducing the appeal of vapes to children, including plain packaging, limits on flavour descriptors and removing vapes from display in shops. That consultation closes on 2 October 2026. If you have a view, there is one day left to give it.

What the evidence actually says

It helps to separate three claims that often get mixed together. First, the official UK position on vaping and smoking. The Minister of State for Health stated it plainly: vaping is less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit, and children and non-smokers should never vape. That is the government's public health advice, not a press line, and both halves matter equally. Second, what tax does. Raising the price of something generally reduces how much of it is bought, and that effect is usually strongest among people with the least money, which includes teenagers. That is the mechanism the duty relies on. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the duty will raise more than £550 million a year by 2030-31, which tells you the government expects substantial sales to continue. Third, what is not yet known. This duty starts today, so there is no UK evidence yet on how much youth vaping falls as a result, or on whether any adult vapers return to smoking. Those are the two outcomes that will decide whether this policy worked, and both will take time to measure. It is also worth being honest that the duty applies to nicotine-free liquids as well. Supporters argue that makes enforcement simpler and closes a loophole. Critics argue it taxes a product that carries less risk. Both points are fair; the government has chosen simplicity. On illicit trade, the stamps scheme is the clearest evidence-backed element, because digital traceability has been used successfully against tobacco smuggling. The government is also putting £30 million a year of new funding until 2028-29 into enforcement by bodies including Trading Standards and Border Force.

Qurexa perspective

We are a pharmacy delivery and healthcare logistics company, so our interest in this is straightforward: stopping smoking is one of the single biggest things a person can do for their health, and most people who manage it have help. That help is free and closer than most people realise. NHS stop smoking services and many community pharmacies offer behavioural support alongside nicotine replacement products, and the combination works better than either alone. If today's price changes have prompted you to think about stopping vaping or smoking altogether, that is a good instinct and worth acting on while the thought is fresh. Your local pharmacy team is a sensible first conversation. They will not lecture you, and they deal with this every week.

Practical advice

Here is what to do with today's changes, depending on where you stand. If you buy vaping liquid, expect prices to rise, but check rather than assume. Shops absorb costs differently. Look for the duty stamp. From 1 April 2027 every vaping product sold in the UK must carry one. Before then, unstamped older stock can still be sold legally, so a missing stamp is not yet proof of anything. Buy from established shops and registered online sellers. If a price is far below everyone else's, treat that as a warning rather than a bargain. If you suspect a product is illicit, you can report it to HMRC. If you are travelling, remember the new limit: up to 50ml of vaping liquid for personal use into Great Britain without duty. Different rules apply for Northern Ireland, so check before you pack. If you smoke, do not let a price rise push you into doing nothing. Ask a pharmacist or your GP practice about NHS stop smoking support, which is free. If you vape and want to stop, the same services can help. Cutting nicotine strength gradually and having a plan for your usual triggers is more effective than hoping. If you are a parent, this is a reasonable week to have a calm conversation rather than an argument. The health advice is unambiguous: children should not vape.

What to know

Vaping Products Duty started on 1 October 2026 at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid, applying to nicotine and nicotine-free liquids alike, and is paid by manufacturers, importers and approved warehousekeepers. Duty stamps begin appearing now and become compulsory on all products sold in the UK from 1 April 2027, with unstamped existing stock sellable until 31 March 2027. Tobacco duty rose on the same day by an extra £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50g of tobacco, to keep switching away from smoking worthwhile. Travellers can bring 50ml of liquid into Great Britain duty-free. The government expects more than £550 million a year by 2030-31 and is spending £30 million a year on enforcement. Whether youth vaping falls is the test, and that evidence does not exist yet. Sources: GOV.UK (HM Revenue & Customs), 'New Vaping Products Duty comes into effect', 1 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vaping-products-duty-comes-into-effect; GOV.UK, 'Check if you're impacted by Vaping Products Duty and the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme', 28 April 2026, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-youre-impacted-by-vaping-products-duty-and-the-vaping-duty-stamps-scheme; GOV.UK, 'Apply for approval for Vaping Products Duty and the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme', 28 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-approval-for-vaping-products-duty-and-the-vaping-duty-stamps-scheme. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#vaping#stop smoking#tax#HMRC#youth vaping#high street

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