30 December 2021 
Andrea Marshall, Tax Specialist
Update as at 30 December 2021
How to make due diligence checks for Plastic Packaging Tax has been added to the range of guides
Update as at 22 December 2021
How to work out the weight of packaging for Plastic Packaging Tax has been added to the range of guides
Update as at 20 December 2021
Record keeping and accounts for Plastic Packaging Tax is a new guide that provides details of the information you need to keep for 6 years if registered for PPT
Update as at 16 December 2021
Check which plastic packaging is exempt or excluded from Plastic Packaging Tax has been updated and more exmaples added of what is in or out of the scope of the tax
Work out which packaging is subject to Plastic Packaging Tax includes mor exmaples and information about packaging made up of several components
Examples of packaging in and out of scope of Plastic Packaging Tax is a new guide
Register for Plastic Packaging Tax has been updated with more information about what information is needed to register
Update as at 6 December 2021
HMRC has issued Examples of tests and calculations for Plastic Packaging Tax which includes examples of when packaging is within the tax given the proportion that is plastic.
It is clear from this that a significant level of detail will be required.
Update as at 4 October 2021
HMRC have updated the section of the guidance Get your business ready for the Plastic Packaging Tax relating to invoicing with the following:
Plan for changes to invoices
If you’re responsible for accounting for the tax as the manufacturer or importer of plastic packaging, the requirement to include a statement with your invoice that the tax has been paid, which was due to commence in April 2022, will be delayed.
You are encouraged to make the Plastic Packaging Tax you have paid visible to your business customers, and work with them to try and increase the amount of recycled plastic used wherever possible.
Further information about this requirement will be published in due course. We will give businesses time to prepare and make any required changes to their systems.
Update as at 20 July 2021
Members will recall that the plastic packaging tax will be introduced on April 2022. There will be a £200 per tonne tax rate for packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic and a registration threshold will apply of 10 tonnes of plastic packaging produced in or imported into the UK per annum
HMRC has issued more information regarding the scope of the tax (see below).
What is not clear, as yet, though, is the level of inforamtion that all businesses will need to keep - even if they are unlikely to exceed the import limit of 10 tonnes pa. Get your business ready for the Plastic Packaging Tax states that If you are a business that manufactures or imports less than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging a year, we intend that the record keeping requirements will be reduced, but you will still need to keep some records. Further information will be published later in the year.
Packaging components that are not subject to Plastic Packaging Tax have been split into 3 categories and include, for example:
Category 1 - packaging of the goods, is secondary to its use by the end consumer, to contain, support or preserve the goods throughout their lifetime.
Category 2 - packaging is an integral part of the goods
Category 3 - goods that are designed to be reused
Products liable for Plastic Packaging Tax include:
Goods that are exempt however, include
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November 2020
More information has been issued regarding the plastic packaging tax.
Ther tax will be introduced in April 2022.
Although it is unlikely that universities themselves will have to register for the tax, the introduction of this tax is likely to impact on packaging costs.
