Should there be a cap on the beer tax?
Australian brewers are calling on the government to put a cap on the beer tax before the next hike in August.
“Now is not the time to be ramping up taxes on consumers,” Brewers Association of Australia chief executive Brett Heffernan declared.
“With more and more Aussies out of work and everyone counting their pennies, jacking up beer tax would be another blow to punters and publicans, alike. August 1 is the deadline for averting the next hip-pocket slug to Australians doing it tough.
“The price of a beer in Australia is already over-the-top. Tax accounts for 42 per cent of the price of a stubby. On a typical $52.00 carton, $22.05 goes to the taxman. When it comes to taxing a drink, Aussies pay the fourth highest beer tax in the industrialised world.
“We’re not asking for a tax cut at this time ... just don’t increase the tax. That would spare punters further pain, take pressure off hospitality venues and, because it’s revenue neutral, won’t cost treasury a cent.
“Putting up the tax in August would be another hit to pubs, clubs and the hundreds of thousands of Australians they need to re-employ once they can re-open in full. Higher taxes will only make that challenge harder when so many are on their knees.
“Australians have endured 71 consecutive beer tax increases since 1983. We don’t need to make it 72.”
Do you think the government should freeze the next beer tax hike?
Yes - Freeze the beer tax.
By the way, i remember back in the mid 90s when the government of the time reduced the tax on light beer and it could then be purchased at a significantly discounted price against full strength beer. Seems that those selling it, have been able to greedily claw back lots of profit to the point where it is no longer any cheaper than full strength???????