The 'Support Your Local' campaign has revealed that Ireland’s excise duty on wine is 106 times that of France, with Irish excise considerably higher than in other key European markets.
Excise on a 750ml standard bottle of wine in Ireland stands at €3.19, while in France it is only €0.03. Holland has an excise duty of €0.66, while Belgian shoppers face excise of just €0.43.
A tax hike of 62%, or €1.50 on the average bottle of wine, in the less than twelve months between December 2012 and October 2013 means that Ireland has the highest excise on wine in the EU.
While 15 EU countries pay no tax on wine, Irish consumers can expect that for a €7 bottle of wine, €4.50 goes to the government.
Currently, there are 14,000 people employed by the Irish wine business, with 1,100 working for wine importers and another 13,000 employed across pubs, restaurants, and independent off-licences. The 'Support Your Local' Campaign says that an excise reversal on alcohol would help create even more jobs.
The owner of the Vintry off-licence in Rathgar and Government Affairs Director of the National Off-Licence Association, Evelyn Jones said, “An excise reversal would help relieve this strain and support the creation of jobs. The latest survey carried out by the National Off-Licence Association found that 56% of our members would take on extra staff if excise was reversed. That would result in the creation of at least 960 jobs.”
Bart Storan, campaign manager for 'Support Your Local' added: “As well as impacting on independent off-licences, excise increases have created significant cash-flow issues for wine importers and distributors, as many have to pay excise as an up-front cost. This makes it hard for them to take on additional staff.”
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan
