EU court to rule on excise duty for goods bought abroad

The European Court of Justice is set to rule in the next hour on whether excise duty taxes should be paid when cigarettes and alcohol bought in another jurisdiction and shipped home.

The case was brought by a Dutchman who has challenged taxes charged in his home country on wine he had transported from abroad.

This would have serious consequences for the Irish Government, as it could result in a significant loss of revenue and could dramatically reduce the cost of buying alcohol and cigarettes for Irish consumers.