The previous Government’s alcohol duty escalator was introduced in 2008. The revenues raised from alcohol duty make an important contribution to tackling Britain’s deficit but at the same time, the wine, spirits, beer and cider industries play an important role in providing employment. The Chancellor has listened to the concerns of many individuals and reduced the level of alcohol duty on beer, cider and spirits, while freezing it for wine.
For the third year in a row, the tax on a typical pint of beer has been cut by 1p. This means that an average pint of beer is 9p cheaper than it would have been under Labour’s plans when they were in power. The duty on spirits and on cider has also been cut by 2 per cent, while the duty on wine will be frozen.
By Patrick McLoughlin on February 09, 2016