Finance Act, 1916

Duties on mechanical lighters.

10.(1) There shall be charged, levied, and paid on any tinder box, tinder lighter, or other mechanical and portable contrivance for producing a spark or flame (in this Act referred to as mechanical lighters), imported into Great Britain or Ireland, a duty of Customs of one shillings inthe case of mechanical lighters requiring the use of spirit, and of sixpence in any other case.

(2) There shall be charged, levied, and paid on any mechanical lighter manufactured in Great Britain or Ireland, an Excise duty of one shilling in the case of mechanical lighters requiring the use of spirit, and of sixpence in any other case.

(3) If any person manufactures for sale a mechanical lighter without paying duty in accordance with this section, that person shall be liable in respect of each offence to an Excise penalty of fifty pounds.

(4) The Commissioners of Customs and Excise may make regulations prohibiting the manufacture of mechanical lighters except by persous holding a licence and having made entry for the purpose, and for fixing the date of the expiration of the licence, and also for regulating the manufacture of mechanical lighters and the removal from the manufactory of mechanical lighters with a view to securing and collecting the Excise duty imposed by this Act, and may by those regulations apply to the Excise duty on mechanical lighters and to manufacturers of mechanical lighters any enactments relating to any duty of Excise or Customs and to persons carrying on any trade subject to the laws of Excise.

If any person acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with, any of those regulations, the article in respect of which the offence was committed shall be forfeited, and the person committing the offence shall be liable in respect of each offence to an Excise penalty of fifty pounds.