RISHI Sunak today announced beer, fruit cider and rose wine will be cheaper for consumers as he revealed a shake-up of booze tax rules.
After a year-long review, the Chancellor has confirmed a major overhaul of tax on alcohol in today’s Autumn Budget, reducing the price of a pint.
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Mr Sunak said he wants to make the system “simpler, fairer and healthier” in today’s Budget speech.
To celebrate, the teetotal Chancellor joined Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a visit to a brewery in South London.
Under other reforms, which will be introduced in February 2023, lower strength alcohol, such as some beers, rose wine and fruit cider, will be taxed less.
This will make it cheaper for customers. Meanwhile, high strength booze will cost more.
Mr Sunak said: “The stronger the drink, the higher the rate.
“This means that some drinks, like stronger red wines, fortified wines, or high-strength ‘white cider’ …will see a small increase in their rates because they are currently undertaxed given their strength.”
“That’s the right thing to do, and it will help end the era of cheap, high-strength drinks which can harm public health and enable problem drinking,” he said.
The Chancellor added: “Many lower alcohol drinks are currently overtaxed – and have been for many decades.
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“Rosé, fruit ciders, liqueurs, lower strength beers and wines – today’s changes mean they will pay less.”
He scrapped a planned tax rise for beer, wine, cider and Scotch Whisky – amounting to a £3bn tax cut.
However, pubs could choose not to pass the cuts on to consumers and there would be no change in prices in that case.
Any price reductions are unlikely to take effect until pubs buy new stock, as they have already paid alcohol duty on their current drink selection.
The Chancellor also said he will cut the 28% premium on sparkling wines and the duty paid on fruit ciders.
The Budget at a glance:
Pubs were handed another major lifeline today as business tax was slashed by 50% for hospitality, retail and leisure firms.
Today, Mr Sunak confirmed that millions of Universal Credit claimants will be able to keep an extra £1,000 a year as he slashed the taper rate by 8%.
In a win for The Sun’s Make Universal Credit Work campaign, the Treasury will allow workers to keep more of the money they earn and incentivise people to take on extra work.
The Chancellor also announced £11.5bn to build 180,000 affordable homes with £2bn for 160,000 new homes on brownfield land
Mr Sunak unveiled £3bn for youngsters’ bootcamps and traineeships – plus extra £500m for adults to brush up on maths
Meanwhile, Brits going on ‘ultra long haul’ holidays will pay more for their flights from April 2023 due to a hike in Air Passenger Duty.
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