Be prepared for duty stamps

Licensees will be committing a criminal offence and could face losing their licence if they sell spirits without duty stamps after October 1. Treasury minister John Healey has issued the warning to the trade in an exclusive interview with The Publican.

Mr Healey, financial secretary to the Treasury, warned that the whole supply chain from publicans to producers will be facing stringent checks when the new regime comes into force. HM Treasury has created a new national intelligence unit and increased the numbers of enforcement officers to fight spirits fraud, which during 2003/2004 cost the UK £250bn in lost revenue.

Under the new system all spirits which are 30 per cent ABV or more, contained in bottles of 35cl or above, will need duty stamps when entering the country.

"It will become a criminal offence to sell alcohol that should have duty stamps on, without duty stamps. The maximum fine for that sort of criminal offence is £5,000," said Mr Healey .

"If there is anything that is not duty paid it will be seized so publicans will lose the value of those goods. Ultimately it could affect their licence status.

"Publicans may start to see these duty stamps before the start of October 1. But what we are saying is that legally by October any spirits that are covered by the duty stamps system that are then released for sale and consumption have to have it."

He says the Treasury will target the fraud at every stage of the supply chain so there will be more visits to pubs as well as wholesalers, transport firms and drink producers.

However, Mr Healey has assured licensees that the government is well aware that some spirits bought before the deadline may still be behind the bar after October 1. He said: "Because it is a new system we are very much phasing it in and our focus for the first period will certainly be on trying to make sure people are fully informed and fully understand the way it works.

"We accept there is going to be a period that stock clears through the system where you are going to have some bottles that are slower moving, perhaps alongside stuff with the duty stamps on." What will duty stamps look like?​

The stamp is the size of a two-pence piece and will have a unique sequential number specific to the business which ordered it and to the product type.

Licensees can get more information by telephoning 0845 010 3000 or online at www.ukdutystamps.info​