Facts & Figures

Statistics on alcohol 

• UK Market Overview with data from The IWSR (2012)
• Key facts about alcohol consumption
• Latest statistics on alcohol (customs clearances)

Taxation

• UK Excise duty
  Click here to access the full rates.
  
• EU Customs Duty
  If alcohol is imported into the UK from outside the European Union, Customs duty may also have to be paid in addition to Excise duty.
  Click here to access to Customs Duty rates on the UK Trade Info website  (you will need the relevant commodity code to calculate the rates)
  
• VAT
  VAT is charged on the total of the value of the goods plus all payable duties (i.e. Excise duty and also customs duty if the latter is payable). For example, if a 75cl bottle of wine is imported from another EU member state at £5.00, the VAT will be calculated as follows: 20% x (£5.00 + £2.00) = £1.40

UK Wine & Spirit industry key data:  

• The alcohol industry supports over two million jobs in the UK
• The industry is worth £37.7bn in the UK
• Alcohol duty and VAT contributes £16.3bn a year to the public finances, the equivalent to £316 per UK adult or double the UK overseas aid budget
• The UK spirits industry accounts for 18% of all employment in the EU spirits sector
• UK gin exports amount to around 20% of the world’s gin export market
• There are now over 400 vineyards in the UK producing around 2.5m bottles of wine each year

(sources: ONS, HMRC, WSTA 2013 Budget submission)