A failure in a tax reduction on alcohol will see continued increases in cross border shopping trips, further disrupting the SME Sector, according to NOffLA’s (National Off License Association) Annual Member Survey.
It says that 67% of surveyed off-licence retailers believe that a reduction in excise on alcohol will mitigate against the likely impacts of Brexit.
NOffLA’s Annual Member Survey, as a part of their pre-Budget Submission to the Department of Finance, compiled advice for the Irish government to consider. Ireland is currently the most expensive country in the EU to buy alcohol in. Its economies could benefit greatly from reducing excise on by 15%.
Evelyn Jones, Government Affairs Director of NOffLA said, “The independent off-licence sector continues to face significant challenges associated with a punitive alcohol tax regime that is not in line with other European nations, and is damaging not only local communities, but also our national competitiveness.
This situation has now been exacerbated by the likely impacts of Brexit, and the debilitating impact cross-border trade will have on Irish SMEs.”
Other suggestions made by NOffLA include reintroducing a ban on the below cost selling of alcohol, applying parity to wine taxation in relation to domestic alcohol, and establishing tighter control on out-of-state imports.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Patrick Lewers
