A new tax on vaping liquids is coming, and it''s worth understanding before it lands. From 1 October 2026, the UK introduces the Vaping Products Duty (VPD) — a new excise duty charged on vaping liquids manufactured in or imported into the UK. Unlike VAT, which you already pay on everything, this is a completely separate duty layered on top, and then VAT gets charged on top of that duty too. **How much is it, in real terms?** The headline rate is 22p per millilitre. That works out to £2.20 per 10ml before VAT, and once VAT on the duty itself is factored in, the real-world increase lands closer to £2.64 per 10ml. Scale that up and a 100ml bottle carries roughly £26.40 in duty and VAT combined, before the cost of the liquid, packaging or anything else is even added. **Does this affect devices and kits too?** No — and this is the detail a lot of people miss. The duty applies specifically to the liquid, not the hardware. Your Pod Kits, coils and other Accessories aren''t directly taxed under VPD. It''s bottles of E-Liquids and Nic Salts where the price difference will actually show up. **Why is this happening?** The stated aim is to bring vaping liquids in line with how other nicotine products are taxed, and to generate revenue while the government continues discouraging youth access to vaping. Whatever the policy reasoning, the practical effect for everyday vapers is straightforward: liquids cost more from October onwards. **What should you actually do about it?** If you've got flavours you know you get through regularly, buying a bit more than usual before October is a completely reasonable, low-risk way to soften the impact — provided you're only buying what you'll realistically use within its shelf life, since e-liquid doesn't last forever once opened. There's no need to panic-buy a year's supply, but topping up your usual Nic Salts or E-Liquids order before the change is a sensible bit of forward planning. **What won't change** Existing stock manufactured or imported before 1 October will be treated under separate transitional rules, so this isn't a case of prices jumping overnight on products already sitting on shelves. And nothing about how you actually vape changes — this is purely a pricing shift at the manufacturing and import level that works its way into shelf prices over time. We'll keep an eye on how this develops as October approaches and update customers if anything changes. In the meantime, if you've got a flavour you don't want to be without, now's a sensible time to stock up. *This article is general guidance based on current public information about the Vaping Products Duty. It isn't tax or legal advice, and details may change as further government guidance is published.*
NewsRegulationE-Liquids
← Back to Blog