Greece to tax nicotine products at €50 to €156.7 per kilogram

Greece is about to impose taxes on nicotine products, with non-tobacco heated nicotine products taxed at €156.7 per kilogram and nicotine pouches taxed at €50 per kilogram.

According to data from Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the country is adjusting taxes on nicotine-containing products that are not made from tobacco, bringing them more in line with tobacco products. This includes tax changes for products such as “non-combustible electronic products” and “nicotine pouches.”

For non-tobacco heated nicotine products, a special excise tax of €156.7 per kilogram has been introduced. This tax level is the same as that applied to traditional heated tobacco products such as IQOS. For nicotine pouches, the special excise tax is lower, at €50 per kilogram. The taxable base is the net weight of nicotine, or nicotine combined with other substances, calculated in the product’s solid form. Both categories of nicotine products are also subject to 24% VAT. 

Data shows that conventional smoking in Greece has fallen by one-third over the past 20 years. In 2021, Greek smokers consumed 11.5 billion cigarettes, compared with 32 billion in 2002. That means consumption fell from about 3,000 cigarettes per resident in 2002 to around 1,100 per resident.

Reports say that Greek consumers have also recently been shifting noticeably toward heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes.