The Scotch Whisky Association has joined seven other UK drinks industry organisations in calling on HM Treasury to address what they describe as a “super tax” on spirits, after official figures confirmed a £94 million fall in spirits duty receipts in 2025/26.
The data, published by HMRC on 23 April, shows spirits receipts dropped to £4.06 billion for the year, down from £4.15 billion in 2024/25. The coalition says total spirits revenue is now £1.1 billion below the forecasts made when the new alcohol duty system was introduced in 2023.
The organisations attribute the shortfall to a 17% cumulative rise in spirits duty over three years, beginning with a record 10.1% increase in August 2023 and uprated in line with the Retail Price Index since.
The statement said that it is “critical that HM Treasury do not turn a blind eye to the role the punitive and distortive duty rate has had on spirits revenue, in addition to job losses and investment pauses across the spirits industry.
It added, “Pubs and the wider hospitality industry cannot survive on beer alone, yet hard pressed consumers are being forced to pay over the odds to responsibly enjoy premium spirits, which underpin the profitability of many bars, pubs and restaurants.”
The statement welcomed HM Treasury’s formal evaluation of the 2023 duty reforms, launched on 20 April with written submissions open until 1 June, but was clear about expectations, saying all of the organisations are “united in our call for the review to be as comprehensive as possible, and for the Autumn Budget to take steps to support the UK’s world-class spirits industry.”
The SWA has previously estimated that a freeze on spirits duty would generate an additional £122 million for the Treasury in 2026/27, and more than £1 billion cumulatively over four years.
The joint statement was signed by the Scotch Whisky Association, the UK Spirits Alliance, the Gin Guild, the English Whisky Guild, the Welsh Whisky Association, Drinks Ireland: Spirits, the Irish Whiskey Association and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
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