Catalunya taxes soft drinks and may extend levy to cakes and pastries
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 @ 11:42 AM
CATALUNYA has applied a blanket tax on soft drinks and is considering doing so on cakes and pastries in a bid to try to change eating habits.
Fizzy drinks, squash, energy drinks – including replenishment refreshments typically drunk in summer to balance glucose and electrolytes lost through sweating – sweetened milky drinks, fruit juices with added sugar, flavoured water, and even tea and coffee have been hit by the new levy which came into effect this week.
Tax ranges from eight to 12 céntimos per litre, depending upon sugar content, with the most sugar-laden attracting the top rate.
Depending upon sugar content, volume and the original cost of the product, this means price hikes of between 8% and 50%.
The move was initially planned for November but put off because of Catalunya's 'Parliamentary agenda'.
Doing so meant just 48 hours between the tax being agreed in the 2017 budget and actually being applied, which drinks manufacturers appealed against as this did not give them time to adapt.
The new tax is expected to earn the regional government nearly €31 million this year and, in a full calendar year, around €41.3m.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com