Babylon Vardex Group sues over illegal tax on ENDS.

Sep.22.2022
Babylon Vardex Group sues over illegal tax on ENDS.
Babylon Vardex Group sues Moscow court over central excise tax on liquid in electronic nicotine delivery systems.

The main distributor of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), Babylon Vardex Group, has filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court, declaring the behavior of the Central Excise Tax (CAT) as illegal. The latter demands payment of consumption tax for the liquid contained in the ENDS.


Artem Shevelin, the chief lawyer of Babilon LLC, has explained that in addition to paying consumption taxes on equipment, customs authorities are also requiring liquid consumption taxes to be paid on immersed evaporators. The size of these requirements, which relate to goods imported between 2020 and 2022, has not been disclosed. A preliminary hearing for the claim will take place between September and October.


CAT stated that all activities involving ENDS are legal. The Ministry of Finance also pointed out that a consumption tax must be paid on the liquid used for ENDS. It does not matter whether it is sold separately or as part of a package.


Market experts add that pressure on market participants will only push them into a gray area, rendering legal businesses unprofitable for suppliers and sellers alike. However, the current situation calls for a cross-departmental meeting to discuss ways to avoid potential double taxation issues.


On August 9th, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed to advance the label test on nicotine liquids and electronic nicotine delivery systems, and to enforce mandatory labels for these products starting from November 1st, 2022.


Statement:


This article is compiled based on third-party information and is intended solely for industry communication and learning.


This article does not represent the views of 2FIRSTS, and 2FIRSTS cannot confirm the authenticity or accuracy of the article's content. The article's translation is solely intended for industry-specific communication and research.


Due to the limitations of our translation abilities, the translated article may not accurately reflect the original text. Therefore, readers are advised to rely on the original text for accuracy.


2FIRSTS is in full alignment with the Chinese government's positions and statements on any domestic, Hong Kong and Taiwan-related, and foreign issues.


5. The copyright of the compiled information belongs to the original media and authors. If there is infringement, please contact us for removal.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

South Korea Implements Public Tobacco Harmfulness Management Program, Including 22 Harmful Components in E-Cigarettes
South Korea Implements Public Tobacco Harmfulness Management Program, Including 22 Harmful Components in E-Cigarettes
South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety convened the first 2025 Tobacco Harmfulness Management Policy Committee, finalizing new lists of harmful substances for cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and liquid e-cigarettes to be publicly disclosed from next year.
Nov.14 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Dagestan Proposes Pilot Ban on E-Cigarette Sales, Submits Request to State Duma
Dagestan Proposes Pilot Ban on E-Cigarette Sales, Submits Request to State Duma
The head of Russia’s Republic of Dagestan has proposed a region-wide ban on the retail sale of e-cigarettes and has written to the State Duma seeking to designate Dagestan as a pilot region for a comprehensive e-cigarette sales ban.
Oct.21 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Illegal Market Surges After Kazakhstan Bans E-Cigarettes; Telegram Becomes the Main Trading Channel
Illegal Market Surges After Kazakhstan Bans E-Cigarettes; Telegram Becomes the Main Trading Channel
Since Kazakhstan banned e-cigarette sales in June 2024, transactions have gone underground, shifting to Telegram and some e-commerce platforms and making enforcement harder; related research indicates the ban has not significantly reduced demand.
Oct.20 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Lao Shuts Down Nearly 300 Online Vape Stores in Joint Crackdown with WHO and Meta
Lao Shuts Down Nearly 300 Online Vape Stores in Joint Crackdown with WHO and Meta
In a coordinated effort with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Meta, the Lao Ministry of Health has taken 288 online e-cigarette stores with more than 759,599 members offline, reinforcing the country’s total ban on e-cigarettes under the National Tobacco Control Law.
Nov.20 by 2FIRSTS.ai
JUUL Plans to Launch New E-cigarette Juul2 in the U.S., Featuring App-Based Identity Verification and Awaiting Regulatory Approval
JUUL Plans to Launch New E-cigarette Juul2 in the U.S., Featuring App-Based Identity Verification and Awaiting Regulatory Approval
JUUL plans to launch Juul2 with biometric protection system in the US, targeting adult smokers while preventing underage use.
Oct.24 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Scandinavian Tobacco Group Reports Q3 2025 Results and Narrows Full-Year Guidance
Scandinavian Tobacco Group Reports Q3 2025 Results and Narrows Full-Year Guidance
Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) reported net sales of DKK 2.4 billion for Q3 2025, in line with last year. EBITDA before special items reached DKK 519 million with a 22.0% margin. Handmade Cigars and Next Generation Products saw organic growth, while Machine-Rolled Cigars and Smoking Tobacco declined. The company narrowed its full-year guidance.
Nov.12 by 2FIRSTS.ai