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.

Azerbaijan Imposes Comprehensive E-Cigarette Ban Covering Import, Export, Sales and Use, Effective April 1
Azerbaijan Imposes Comprehensive E-Cigarette Ban Covering Import, Export, Sales and Use, Effective April 1
Azerbaijan has approved amendments to its tobacco law that introduce a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes and their components, covering import, export, production, storage, wholesale and retail sales, and use. Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are classified as tobacco products under the revised framework. The law takes effect on April 1, 2026.
Jan.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Bulgarian Police Seize More Than 56,500 Heated Tobacco Sticks in Sofia Operation
Bulgarian Police Seize More Than 56,500 Heated Tobacco Sticks in Sofia Operation
Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry said two men aged 48 and 50 were detained during a specialised police operation in Sofia’s Krasna Polyana district for distributing e-cigarettes and tobacco without excise stamps.
Mar.17 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Fifth Circuit Upholds FDA’s 2021 PMTA Rule, Citing Statutory Health-Study Requirements
Fifth Circuit Upholds FDA’s 2021 PMTA Rule, Citing Statutory Health-Study Requirements
A Fifth Circuit panel upheld the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2021 final rule requiring companies seeking premarket authorization for new tobacco products to include information on health-risk investigations. In a published opinion, the court found FDA satisfied the Regulatory Flexibility Act’s procedural requirements and reasonably relied on the economic analysis from the 2016 “deeming rule” as a factual basis to certify limited impact on small businesses.
Feb.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai
China Tobacco International (HK) Announces FY2025 Results: Revenue Reaches HK$14.58 Billion, Up 11.5% Year-on-Year
China Tobacco International (HK) Announces FY2025 Results: Revenue Reaches HK$14.58 Billion, Up 11.5% Year-on-Year
China Tobacco International (HK) Company Limited announced its audited results for the year ended December 31, 2025. Revenue was HK$14.58 billion, profit before taxation was HK$1.28 billion, and profit attributable to owners of the Company was HK$0.98 billion, with basic and diluted EPS of HK$1.42. The Board proposed a final dividend of HK$0.33 per share; together with an interim dividend of HK$0.19 per share, the full-year dividend totaled HK$0.52 per share.
Mar.06 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Daegu Jung-gu: liquid e-cigarettes with synthetic nicotine to be fined in nonsmoking areas under revised Tobacco Business Act
Daegu Jung-gu: liquid e-cigarettes with synthetic nicotine to be fined in nonsmoking areas under revised Tobacco Business Act
Daegu’s Jung-gu District announced on Feb. 10 that, following amendments to the Tobacco Business Act that explicitly classify liquid e-cigarettes containing synthetic nicotine as “tobacco” (effective April 24, 2026), the district will expand regulations to include fines for vaping such products in designated nonsmoking areas. The district health office said smokers/vapers could face an administrative fine of up to 100,000 won for using synthetic-nicotine liquid e-cigarettes in smoke-free zones
Feb.10 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Casey’s, the No. 3 U.S. C-Store Chain, Sees Nicotine Category Shift as Pouches Rise 31% and Vapor 12%
Casey’s, the No. 3 U.S. C-Store Chain, Sees Nicotine Category Shift as Pouches Rise 31% and Vapor 12%
Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY) reported accelerating growth in modern nicotine products during its fiscal third quarter ended January 31, 2026. Nicotine pouch sales increased 31% year over year, while vapor products rose 12%. Although cigarette unit sales continued to decline, management stated that the rate of decline slowed compared to prior quarters.
Market
Mar.15