Monday, November 24, 2008

Alcohol Duty to Rise by 8%!

I'm told there is an announcement buried in the HMRC documents of an 8% increase in alcohol duty effective from 1st Dec. What the Gord giveth with one hand...

30 comments:

rob's uncle said...

Yes. It is intended to leave the retail price unchanged.

Anonymous said...

He has done the same to the petrol duty aswell. So that begs the question, where is the motivation to spend more? Answer: none.

Another budget full of smokescreens.

Anonymous said...

Its the same with petrol isn't it?.

It seems its OK to boost some sort of spending but not another. Like its OK to buy an imported flat screen TV but not to buy a car made in Britain.

Crazy? or what?

Anonymous said...

"Yes. It is intended to leave the retail price unchanged."

So when the VAT holiday expires in 13-months time alcohol prices will go up? It's a tax rise under a cloak.

PixieSimon said...

You are right, Iain. And the upper earnings limit for national insurance is going up nearly 10%, on top of a 15% increase in April this year. Net result - anyone earning more than £43k will be paying £905 more in NI from April 2009 than they were in March 2008. And that's even before the 0.5% increase comes in...

Daily Referendum said...

When the VAT cut goes back up to 17.5%, the increases in duty on fuel, booze and fags WILL stay. It's hidden in Darlings little book.

John Pickworth said...

Amazing isn't it?

We're on our knees yet the Government can indulge in another round of green taxes, prohibitive pricing of a few enjoyables and the squandering of money on loft lagging.

They just don't live in the same world do they?

Ken from Gloucester said...

Kepp reading the small print because that is where all the nasties are hidden.

G.B. cannot help it.Always sneaky and underhanded

Roger Thornhill said...

Incapable of being open and honest or just incompetent and incapable of detecting unintended consequences?

He is a leftie, so the latter could apply, I suppose.


Nah. He is just a spiteful, dysfunctional git.

South Down Tory said...

They've really stuffed it up haven't they?

Cameron is going to get medieval on Brown this Wednesday over this!

Catosays said...

As he's led out one cold misty morning and is tied to the post, his last words will be, "It wasna me, some other naughty boy did it and ran away"

"Take aim"!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Brown Darling seem to think it is a vote winner to say they are spreading the pain around.

But why should we be feeling the pain in the first place. Brown thinks we will believe his story that its all the fault of bug eyed monsters from Mars.

Numbers seem to have ceased to have any meaning for the Labour Party.

Unknown said...

According to the full budget report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/24_11_08_pbr_completereport.pdf)

the increase on duty for alcohol and fags will claw back a total of £880m a year (no figure for fuel). This is after the VAT reduction on these items is taken into account.

It continues each year even after the VAT reduction is removed.

So much for the pre-budget spin that there would be nothing hidden in the small print.

John Pickworth said...

trevorsden said...

Brown Darling seem to think it is a vote winner to say they are spreading the pain around.

Mmmm I don't think its working...

Channel4 News currently ripping into it big style, complete with war-time themes!

Also, I urge everyone to read this brilliant analysis of the PBR:
Blinded by the Light // UK Bubble

Its looking bad.

Old BE said...

An end to Tory Binge and Bust!

Curmudgeon said...

"It is intended to leave the retail price unchanged."

But it will lead to an increase of about 25-30p on a typical bottle of spirits sold in the off-trade.

And it won't come back off again next year.

AutoMadchen said...

The 8% also come on top of the 9% duty increase from March and the 2% above inflation increase aready committed to for next March.

Anonymous said...

I read elsewhere that in the case of beer for instance it will add 3p to a pint - on top of all the other increases Darling has pencilled in. So not just making up the difference but adding a tax on top.

I can assure all readers that by the time all manner of other overheads have been added in this will round up to 10p a pint and similar results for wine and spirits.

Darling looks to have lied through his teeth in Parliament.

This is a knife into the heart of the pub industry. The price of a pint is extortionate as it is. THIS is help in a recession??

My arse it is.

David Farrer said...

I have the great advantage of living in Darling's constituency.

That means I can help vote the b*****d out.

Alfie said...

And so the death knell of the English pub sounds....

Daily Referendum said...

Surely an EDM before this week's PMQs is a perfect time to call for a vote of no confidence?

Elby the Beserk said...

Fags first. Next booze. Two pubs near us have closed in the past month.

Akheloios said...

What about all the complaints about binge drinking?

Brian said...

Will the subsidy to the Palace of Westminster's many bars be increased to compensate for the increase in duty?

Dick Puddlecote said...

A tax rise hidden amongst the guff. The Drinkers Alliance spotted it straightaway.

36 pubs per week closing and this is the 'help' they get.

http://dickpuddlecote.blogspot.com/2008/11/when-is-vat-cut-not-vat-cut.html

Anonymous said...

a poor man's tax

Steven_L said...

Well there's nothing for me in the budget, and alcohol, fags and diesel are my biggest expenses after rent.

Far be it from increasing my spending, my new years resolution will be to go on the wago, quit the fags and start spending like a pauper.

I'm either going to save the money short term for foreign holidays (you're only young once) or sit at home and gamble it in the financial markets.

Either way, it won't be helping Gordon's economy, that's for sure.

Chris Gilmour said...

Does this mean that the businesses who claim back their VAT on petrol, the VAT cut doesn't affect them but now they have to pay more cos of the rise in duty. So actually an instant tax rise for them.

Curly said...

I'm just an ordinary bloke.

NuLabour plainly hates me!

Anonymous said...

manc ... yes from what I read.

In other words everything we eat wear drink play with or read will go up in price as delivery costs rise.

An absurd way to give a 'stimulus' to the economy. And if you want to have a cheery dring - that goes up as well. Stimulus??

'stimulus my arse.'