VB Distribution has said it is fully prepared for the introduction of the Vaping Products Duty (VPD) on 1 October, assuring retail and wholesale partners that it is ready to support a smooth transition to the new excise regime.
With just two months until vaping products come under the same excise framework as alcohol and tobacco, the distributor said its HMRC approval under the Vaping Products Duty and Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme enables it to begin building stocks of stamped products ahead of the new rules.
Natalia Gosciniak, chief executive of VB Distribution, said the company had spent months preparing its operations, compliance systems and supply chain for the change.
“Approval is no longer an administrative step in this category, it is permission to trade,” she said.
“This milestone strengthens our readiness for the introduction of the duty and reflects months of work across our operations, compliance and supply chain teams. Our retail, wholesale and brand partners will trade through the transition with the availability and continuity they have always had from us.”
Under the new regime, all vaping products entering the UK market from 1 October will be subject to Vaping Products Duty and must carry official duty stamps. Only HMRC-approved operators can obtain these stamps.
VB Distribution said its approval allows it to purchase duty stamps before the transitional window closes on 31 August and build compliant stock ahead of implementation. Operating under bonded, duty-suspended conditions also means the company can account for duty when products leave its warehouse, rather than passing the administration further down the supply chain.
The distributor said it supplies more than 50,000 retail shelf placements across supermarkets, wholesalers, convenience stores, forecourts and independent retailers, and operates 100,000 sq ft of HMRC-approved bonded warehousing.