The biggest Alcohol Duty reforms in 140 years are set come into effect on 1 August 2023, with all alcoholic drinks based on their alcohol by volume (ABV).
This replaces the current alcohol duty system, which consists of four separate taxes covering beer, cider, spirits and wine and fortified wine.
HMRC said it will “make the system fairer and responsive to new products entering the market as consumer tastes evolve”.
Small producers, including pubs and restaurants, will benefit from reduced rates on qualifying products, such as draught beer and cider, the tax authority said.
In a statement HMRC said that the new system reflected the government’s commitment to tax simplification, helping to foster the right conditions for businesses to prosper and the economy to grow.
Jonathan Athow, Director General of Customer Strategy & Tax Design, HMRC, said: “After listening to feedback from industry, economists, consumer organisations, public health groups and many business owners, the new alcohol duty system will be based on the founding principle of taxing alcoholic products by strength, ensuring consistency across the board for the first time.
“The new system will support the government’s public health objectives, encourage product innovation, remove barriers to growth for small businesses, and provide extra support to small producers, pubs and the hospitality sector.”
The new system will create six standardised alcohol duty bands across all types of alcoholic products and apply to all individuals and businesses involved in the manufacture, distribution, holding and sale of alcoholic products across the UK.
These reforms will replace and extend the existing Small Brewers Relief with Small Producer Relief. This means that all small businesses that produce any alcoholic products with an ABV of less than 8.5% will be eligible for reduced rates on qualifying products, if they produce less than 4,500 hectolitres per year.
To support the hospitality industry there will also be a reduced rate for draught products – known as Draught Relief. This will reduce alcohol duty on qualifying beer and cider by 9.2%, and by 23% on qualifying wine-based, spirits-based and other fermented products, sold in on-trade premises such as pubs and restaurants.
The reforms will mean that every pint in every pub across the UK will pay less duty than their supermarket equivalent, in line with the government’s Brexit Pubs Guarantee.
To support wine producers and importers in moving to the new method of calculating duty on their products, temporary arrangements will be in place for 18 months from 1 August 2023 until 1 February 2025.
Low strength drinks below 3.5% ABV will be charged at a new lower rate of duty. In making these changes, the government said it aims to encourage product innovation and ensure the Alcohol Duty system works for business and consumers.
More information on the new Alcohol Duty rates and reliefs can be found on GOV.UK.
Those involved in the production of smaller quantities of alcoholic products, can check the reduced rates of duty that apply to them by using the Small Producer Relief calculator.
“The new system will support the government’s public health objectives, encourage product innovation, remove barriers to growth for small businesses, and provide extra support to small producers, pubs and the hospitality sector.”
Jonathan Athow, Director General of Customer Strategy & Tax Design, HMRC.
