Duty-free allowances double, thanks to Brown

PA

Monday 01 December 2008

Print
A A A
Latest in Home News
Rise in parents terrorised by their children
Businesses reject jobs scheme that's all work and no pay
Overwhelming public support for windfall tax on energy firms
Blizzards to batter UK again
Retirees get to keep bag of cash
Price of diesel hits record £1.43 a litre
Councils secure right to say prayers
New proposals put forward to regulate bailiffs
Diesel price reaches record high
Faith groups warned they 'must abide by laws'
News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Why David Cameron owes unemployed single mothers an apology

How would you describe an unemployed single mother, with moderate depression, who can't afford new s...

Can we shop our way out of a recession?

The idea that a lot of shopping translates into a healthy economy is dubious. On the three prior oc...

How social networking made public vanity acceptable

When did it become acceptable to brag about oneself publicly?

‘French beer is unknown. We must change that’

Stereotypes die hard. ‘The Very Hungry Frenchman’, the BBC’s current television series following che...

Suggested Topics

From today, travellers returning to Britain from outside the European Union will be able to bring back double the amount of wine, electrical goods and souvenirs without paying tax.

The changes, the first since 1994, mean that holidaymakers can join the green "Nothing to declare" channel with four litres of wine, up from two, and the duty-free allowance for "other goods", such as electrical products and souvenirs, jumps from £145 to £300. That will be increased again to £340 from January because of the falling value of the pound.

Restrictions on perfumes have been removed and a new allowance of 16 litres of beer, previously classed among other goods, has been introduced.

Travellers can also now "mix and match" different kinds of alcohol and do the same with different tobacco products. The changes have been brought in by the EU after a proposal in 2004 by Gordon Brown, who was then the Chancellor.

Comments

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
SPONSORED FEATURES

Free trial of new Independent iPad app

Get your daily dose of the best of British journalism, sponsored by American Airlines

Subaru XV Posh Nosh Prizes & offers
Business videos

Win a family adventure for four in the new Subaru XV

Enjoy a three-nights family adventure at Slaley Hall Resort, Northumberland courtesy to Subaru XV

iPad app Posh Nosh Prizes & offers
Business videos

Amazing restaurant offers

Three glasses of free champagne and a special menu at 46 top London restaurants.

iPad app Subaru XV Prizes & offers
Business videos

Latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

iPad app Subaru XV Posh Nosh
Business videos

Commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

iPad app Subaru XV Posh Nosh
Prizes & offers
Career Services

Day In a Page

So long Sarkozy: Inside the tiny town that will topple the French president

Inside the tiny town that will topple Sarkozy

The tiny town of Donzy is France's political weathervane finds John Lichfield.
A class act: Claire Foy on criticism, tumours and embarrassing sex scenes

Claire Foy: Criticism, tumours and embarrassing sex scenes

Her luminous good looks made the actress the star of Little Dorrit and Upstairs Downstairs
A new leaf: Mark Hix sings the praises of spinach

A new leaf: Mark Hix sings the praises of spinach

Spinach is the versatile superfood that will keep you strong and healthy throughout the winter months.
Hollywood ate my novel: Novelists reveal what it’s like to have their book turned into a movie

Hollywood ate my novel

Novelists reveal what it’s like to have their book turned into a movie
How you can force companies to behave themselves

How you can force companies to behave themselves

Buying even a single share in a firm gives you the right to question its practices
Lost in the landscape: Wilderness and wildlife in Australia’s Top End

Wilderness and wildlife in Australia’s Top End

This sparsely populated region is home to creatures that are both fantastic and formidable
48 Hours: Marrakech

48 Hours: Marrakech

From the ancient medina to the Palmeraie, Morocco's Rose City offers a warm escape from the cold of winter.
Bear with Bern for Swiss skiing

Bear with Bern for Swiss skiing

Stephen Wood arrives at the gateway to the Bernese Oberland with plenty of respect for the slopes and the city's ursine inhabitants.
Dawn of the age of wireless medicine

Dawn of the age of wireless medicine

New technology means doctors will soon be able to regulate and monitor drug intake remotely – as long as patients remember to swallow their chips
Pete Doherty: I was a bit unhinged

Pete Doherty: I was a bit unhinged

Former Libertine talks frankly and exclusively about Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse, his baby daughter and why he paints with his own blood
Brown makes £1m since leaving No 10 (but Blair's still the leading earner)

Brown makes £1m since leaving No 10...

... but Blair's still the leading earner
The West Bank's Bobby Sands

The West Bank's Bobby Sands

Khader Adnan's two-month hunger strike has made him a hero among Palestinians outraged by Israel's policy of arbitrary detention
Hey, You've got to hide your drug away

Hey, You've got to hide your drug away

Paul McCartney has given up smoking dope. Simon Usborne charts a career of highs and lows
The 50 Best lights

The 50 Best cheap eats

The top spots for breakfast, lunch and dinner
MI5 helped US in fruitless search for Charlie Chaplin's Communist past

Investigating Charlie Chaplin

MI5 helped US in fruitless search for star's Communist past